A Different Path: Reading Goblet of Fire
by jlmill9
Summary: Not long after coming home to the Dursleys after his third year at Hogwarts, Harry finds himself in a strange house along with several of his friends, one of his enemies and a mysterious boy, who wants to change his future, and seems to think that reading a few books would help with that.
1. The House

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: So I got fed up with trying to do this story by a mailing list, as I'm not sure everyone that was on the list is even getting the chapters or not. Also I want more people to have a chance to read this fic as it takes a lot of my time to write it. I am not planning on keeping this fic on this site forever, but I'm hoping that by the end of this year I'll have books 4-7 finished and it would be a few months after that that do anything with this fic and the others. Also, I'm not planning on reposting any of my older reading the book fics, though if you have any question about them please pm me.  
**

** I just want to thank Trilonias, who has agreed to Beta this story.**

Chapter One

The House

A boy of eighteen years of age was sitting in a house, looking straight ahead like he was waiting for something to happen. He had been through so much to get to this house … in this particular house at this particular time. He had to say goodbye to a life that he had loved, so he could risk a future that was sad and yet peaceful. All for what? A chance to meet his family, to finally know where he came from. A smile stretched across his face as he thought of this, it was the one thought that have driven him forward since he got here a month ago.

He didn't, or was it more like he couldn't, realize how hard it was going to be on him once he got here, knowing that he was alone now. He missed the family he had gain over the years, and it felt odd that he was trying to make sure the world he came from would not exist … at least not in the world he was in now. It was odd knowing that the people he had grown to love might never exist in this reality. He shook his head; it was too late to worry. about that now. Somehow, he would make sure none of the good things changed.

He looked down at his hands and thought of what he has been doing this last month. Procuring the place that he was sitting in now, putting spells on it that were both hard to break and untraceable. He realized quickly that he never would have been able to accomplish his task if he didn't have help. If the family hadn't pulled together their resource and prepared him for this mission, he wouldn't even have made it to this time period, let alone had a chance to make the plan work out in the end. He promised himself that he wouldn't let them down for all the hard work they had done.

Yesterday he had finished the necessary spells that would insure he would have a safe environment for what he needed to accomplish. He would have at least a week and a half to accomplish his task, even though physically only ten hours would past (an hour for each day). However, he was now drained of his energy and he was really glad when aid had come to him from a very unexpected and yet helpful source. He was sure that he wouldn't have been able to summon everyone to him easily and it was going to take him at least four days before he could even think about doing it. However, with the helpful creature he would be able to do it now.

He suddenly heard a soft song that seemed to fill his chest at first and then his entire being, which snapped him out of his thought. The first person was coming soon; he hoped that no one was going to overreact to being summoned like this …

O

Another boy woke up with a start. He had been dreaming of something that he couldn't quite remember and didn't feel too incline to try, knowing it would just make things worse. He looked over at the clock besides his bed and groaned. It was only seven in the morning, he would have had another few hours of peaceful sleep if it wasn't for that stupid dream, but he now knew he couldn't sleep after that. He got up and looked around his room as he ruffled his permanently messy hair, wondering what he was going to do now. He seriously hoped that he could at least stay up in his room for he had no desire to spend more time with his so call family (and they would prefer that he would stay away from them as well).

He sighed when his stomach growled, knowing that he was going to have to brave going downstairs now, and he pray his aunt wasn't up yet. He was at least encouraged by the thought that things hadn't been so bad this summer so far because his family thought that his godfather, who had just escaped from Azkaban (a prison for wizards), would come after them if he was being mistreated. Still, this thought only made him remember his dream, the one where he was with his godfather, away from his family that hated him (and he loath in return) and he was actually happy. It was hard every time he woke up from that dream when he realized that he was still at Privet Dr.

As the boy reached the bottom step he felt something very light land on his hand and the next thing he knew there was a pull against his navel and before he could even start to panic he was zipped away from his home and landed in a strange room. The boy immediately pulled out his wand from his back pocket, glad that he had decided to take it with him as he left his room. But no one was there.

Suddenly there was a bluish flash and three people were in the room. The boy's wand immediately pointed at them, but he lowered it almost at once as he recognized who these people were … or at least who one was and he could guess who the other two were.

"Hermione!"

"Harry!" the girl with bushy brown hair said. "What's going on? Where are we?"

"I don't know," Harry said, trying to sound calm, but he was just as wary as Hermione seemed to be. He looked at the other two people in the room, a woman with wavy brown hair and brown eyes, both the same shade as Hermione's. The man had black hair and blue eyes, but there was no denying that Hermione got most of her features from him. Harry had seen these people a few times before, though he never really had a chance to talk to them. Still, he smiled at them in what he hoped to be a reassuring way. Judging by their wide eyes, it wasn't working very well.

However, before he could say anything the bluish light flashed again, and two more people were in the room. Before he could even raise his wand (and he noticed that Hermione moved to do the same), he recognize the man closest to him and took a step before he flung his arms around the man crying, "Sirius!"

"Harry?" Sirius said, obviously taken back by being hugged by his godson just after being transported into a strange room. That didn't last long as his eyes meet the other man that was just transported in the room and he felt a little of his fear leave him. He was able to hug his godson back before pulling away and saying, "What's happening … how did I get here?"

"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "I just got here a minute ago."

"Hm …" the other man hummed, obviously uncomfortable with this situation.

"Professor Lupin," Harry said, feeling a little sheepish that he didn't notice that it was him at first. Harry felt a fleeting desire to run to Lupin as well, hugging his old professor but at the same time felt that it would be awkward to do that, so he settled with just smiling at him. "It's good to see you again."

"Yes, it certainly is, and I would prefer if you call me Remus, Harry, seeing as I'm no longer your professor," Remus said.

"Er … I'll try," Harry responded, knowing it would be difficult to switch to calling him that.

"Professor Lupin?" the woman said, looking visibly more relax upon hearing the name (knowing that her daughter really looked up to this man), but still wary.

"Yes, I'm Remus John Lupin," Remus replied, smiling at her and the man that was in the room, "I take it you are Hermione's parents."

"Yes, I'm Juliet Granger and this is my husband Duncan," Juliet said.

"It's nice to …" Remus started to say but just at that moment another flash come (which had made Remus jump, for he didn't know what was going on), and seven people were now in the room as well.

As soon as the plump woman landed on the ground she got up to stand in front of the rest of the people that had just arrived, all of which had brilliant red hair. She seemed to be trying to shield what was obviously her family from whatever danger might be before her. Her eyes scan the room quickly and she felt herself relax sightly as she recognize a good deal of the people in the room, however, that was all ruined when she saw the last man that was there.

"SIRIUS BLACK!" the woman screeched, pulling out her wand, her eyes filled with anger and fear.

"No!" Harry shouted as he watched his godfather raise his hands in a defensive way, terror clear on his face. Harry looked back at the woman, her eyes were growing colder and he feared that she would do something terrible … believing that she was protecting her family from a criminal. Harry, though deathly afraid of the look in the woman's eyes, step between her and Sirius, his arms raised. "Mrs. Weasley don't-"

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed and she paled in agony as she looked at him. She could not hurt Harry any more than she could hurt one of her own children but he was standing in front of one of the most dangerous men in country. A remorseless killer that had been responsible for so many deaths … including (though not directly) Harry's own parents. Clearly this man had confused Harry in some ways, to make the boy protect him like this.

"Harry, get out of the way," Sirius said, turning even paler at the thought of Harry protecting him like that … this woman looked like she was ready to kill and if he believed what Fabian and Gideon had told him, Molly Weasley wasn't someone you wanted this angry with you.

The red haired man looked at the preceding that were going on here with apprehension, he didn't know why Harry would protect this criminal, but he feared … like his wife … that it was some kind of enchantment. His fear only increase when he raised his wand and Hermione, his youngest son's other best friend stood in front of him, her eyes looking exactly as Harry did. However, that was what made him feel so odd, their eyes were filled with worry and pleading, whereas they should have been blank and dull if they really were being enchanted.

"He's a murder Harry … please get out of the way!" Molly pleaded with him, all the while keeping her eyes on Sirius in case he made a move. It wasn't like he could even if he wanted to, not having a wand, but she didn't know that.

The Grangers moaned at this, seeing their daughter standing in front of a murderer made them want to move and pull her away but Remus, who was looking grave and had no idea what he could do to help his friend, held a hand in front of them. He was hoping that this will be resolved without violence and knew that if he was even to raise his wand in the defense of Sirius it would only make the situation worse.

"Put you wand down Mum!" the youngest Weasley boy said, walking around his mum's outstretch arm and standing in between his friends.

"Ronald …!" Molly moaned miserably and her husband looked more shocked and confused than ever.

"He wasn't the Potter's secret keeper and he didn't kill all those people Mum!" Ron said firmly, his eyes too seemed to be pleading his mum to believe him.

"Ron …" his dad started to say shaking his head, this couldn't possibly be true, there was too much evident that the man in front of them had done those things. But how could Ron be affected by whatever enchantment the other two seemed to be under?

"It's the truth, Arthur," Remus spoke at last, his voice sounding grave. "I know what you're thinking … I believed the stories too … gave evidence that Sirius was their secret keeper …"

"Because I wanted you to think I was," Sirius said, his tone was grave, too. He would never forgive himself for not trusting Remus … for trusting the _rat_ instead …

"But it was Peter Pettigrew," Remus said.

"That's preposterous!" Arthur interjected. "Peter was killed … killed by Black!"

"I wish!" Sirius snorted darkly, which caused Harry to groan, because this didn't really make him seem that innocent at the moment.

"Then where is Pettigrew … if you didn't kill him?!" Molly huffed; clearly she didn't believe this story. "Where has he been the last thirteen years?"

"In our house," Ron commented and everyone looked at him questioningly.

"Pettigrew was an Animagus," Remus explained, "he got away from Sirius after killing those twelve people by turning into a rat."

"A rat?!" the Weasleys all exclaimed in various degrees of shock … Molly and Arthur still seemed skeptical.

"Scabbers to be exact," Ron added darkly, his fist clenched.

"This … it's not …" Molly said shaking her head.

"Please Mrs. Weasley!" Harry said again, his pleading eyes boring into hers, and they were so sad … terrified … that she felt her wand lower without conscious thought of doing so. "He's my godfather …"

"Harry," Molly moaned, she couldn't stand the pained look in his eyes … couldn't stand that she was the one putting it there. But could she really trust that it was safe to lower her wand? She did lower it slowly, but she kept her eyes on Sirius all the same, with four of her children right behind her, she was going to take every precaution.

"Mother, I don't think this is wise, Sirius Black is a dangerous criminal!" the eldest boy there said.

"Lighten up Percy, Harry said that he was innocent and I for one believe him," one of the identical twins said.

"And what if you're wrong, Fred," Percy raised his eyebrow.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George …" Fred started to say and Percy rolled his eyes.

"How about Arthur checks if Sirius has a wand or any other weapon," Remus said in a soothing voice. "And I will give you mine as well. I don't want you to feel threatened in here."

"That sounds reasonable to me," Arthur responded and Molly nodded her head, so he performed the spell that showed that Sirius didn't have any kind of wand or weapon and took Remus's wand.

"Er … I'm sorry, but I don't understand what's going on here?" Duncan questioned, looking at Sirius warily as he now held Hermione's shoulder.

"Well, I supposed I should try to explain," Harry said and told the Grangers and the Weasley the gist of what happened with Sirius the last year.

"You seriously broke out of Azkaban just because you wanted to protect Harry!" Molly shouted, not convinced if she should believe Sirius but still finding that admirable if it was true.

"Siriusly," Sirius smiled, causing Remus's lip to turn upward as he shook his head. It had been a long time since he heard his friend use his favorite pun. Before they could say anything else however, there was a flash of light and someone new had join the group.

This newcomer had blonde hair tied in a dignified knot, green eyes and a curious expression. She seemed to be just as wary as everyone else that had come into the room, though she relaxed as she looked at the Weasleys. When her eyes landed on Sirius she too exclaimed, like Molly had,

"SIRIUS BLACK!"

However, unlike Molly she ran to Sirius and hugged him, much to the surprise of everyone in the room.

"Sirius it is you, isn't it?!" the woman said excitedly.

"Er … yeah?" Sirius voiced, confused, having no clue who this woman was.

"You don't remember me," the woman than pouted, "Oh, that's right I'm blonde right now … well I had to be because I was just taken my Auror exam … normal I wouldn't have cared that much about my hair but Moody said that they wouldn't take me seriously if I had pink hair and they're already going to mark me down enough because I'm such a klutz … Anyway, here, I think that this should help you remember …" she said this all very fast, causing everyone to look at her oddly, then she screw up her face like she was concentrating on something and suddenly her hair turn electric pink.

"Little Nymphy … is that you?!" Sirius exclaimed this time, a big grin on his face, the last time he had seen this girl she was five.

'Little Nymphy' eye's flashed when she heard that name and she draw her wand and put it between Sirius eyes. "No one … and I mean no one calls me Little Nymphy! Do I make myself clear, Sirius?!"

"Yeah," Sirius nodded his head, he sure was getting threatened a lot today. "You didn't mind so much the last time I saw you," he grumbled when she lowered her wand.

"Sirius, I was five!" the woman rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," Sirius chuckled again. "So what am I supposed to call you now then?"

"Tonks," the woman stated.

"Going with your surname I see … but it suits you," Sirius said, adding the last part hastily as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Anyway, I'm just glad that someone seemed to be happy to see me …."

"Of course I'm happy to see you," Tonks said. "I never really believed that you could have done those things they said you did … it just didn't fit with the Siri that use to give me piggy-back rides …."

"Thanks … you don't know how much it means that someone believe that I wouldn't do that," Sirius beamed at her and Remus bowed his head.

"Yeah well, I wouldn't come around our house though; Mum will kill you if she sees you," Tonks warned him seriously.

"Andy must really hate me," Sirius sighed.

"Obviously … imagine how you would feel if the only decent member of your family turned out to be the Blackest of them all," Tonks joked, seeming amused by her own pun. It seemed that Sirius liked it too because his barking laughter joined her.

"She's part of your family?" Harry questioned, really starting to wonder who this girl is.

"Merlin's bread! You're Harry Potter!" Tonks exclaimed, obviously she hadn't realized that the black hair boy was actually the Harry Potter when she had first arrived.

"Yes … I know," Harry remarked, his eyes narrowing in his annoyance.

"Er … sorry," Tonks said, looking down sheepishly as her cheeks started to turn red. Her face than screwed up in concentration and her hair turn the same color as her cheeks giving the impression that it was caused by her blush too.

Harry couldn't help but chuckled at that as several people in the room joined him.

"What are you?" a girl with red hair asked, who was the youngest of the Weasley kids.

"Ginny, don't be rude!" Molly reprimanded her.

"I'm a metamorphmagus," Tonks said smiling.

"Really … I've read all about them, they're supposed to be really rare …" Hermione started but another flash cut her off.

There was now a round face boy in the room looking around in trepidation.

"Neville!" several people cried out.

"Harry," Neville said looking relieved that he was surrounded by familiar faces. "Hermione, Ron …. where are we …?"

"No clue," Ron answered with a shrugged.

"Why are we here?" Neville then asked.

"No clue," Ron repeated his answer and Neville looked at Hermione, who shook her head and said, "I don't know either."

Neville frowned, but didn't say anything else; he just went to stand near his friends, taking in the faces of everyone else that was there. He of course recognized most of them, except for the girl with pink hair and the man and woman that he assumed were Hermione's parents. Then his eyes widen and he gasped as he looked at the man in the filthy prison robes.

"Don't worry, Sirius is innocent," Harry sighed, when he noticed his friend reaction. Neville still looked terrified but he nodded his head, he believed Harry.

The next flash didn't come too much longer after that, revealing a man with long red hair.

"Bill!" Molly exclaimed happily, but scared at the same time. She still didn't know what was going on here and was wary that yet another one of her family members was in possible danger.

"Mum?" Bill asked in confusion as he looked around the room.

"We were all transported to this weird room, you get used to it after a while," George said.

"Right?" Bill commented still confused but before he could say anything more there was another flash of light indicated a new arrival.

"What the …?" the boy with white blonde hair uttered, his cold gray eyes took in the sight of everything. He felt increasingly uncomfortable, as he realized that he was in a room full of people he loathed.

"What the hell are you doing here Malfoy?!" Ron questioned angrily, reaching for his wand.

"He is here because I want him here," a voice announced from behind them all, causing them to turn to look at the new comer. He had turquoise hair and eyes that almost seemed to match it.

O

The boy watched with anticipation on his face, wanting to see who would be the first to come. He hid in the shadows, the walls bending to his will and allowing him to see but not be seen. He smiled when he realize that Harry was first, it was fitting in a way. It also made him feel more comfortable, for though Harry might still be just a boy, and even odder was that Harry now younger than him, there was still a presence about him that made the turquoise haired boy relax.

Then Hermione and her parents came, another reassuring presence for the boy. But he barely had time to notice them before the man that he has wanting to see since he understood the meaning of words had come. His father.

His father looked just as he had imagined him to be, older than his actually years, a tired and drawn expression, his clothes were shabby. However, his eyes were kind and when he smile you can see that he knew how to have a good time. The boy stared longingly at this man, hardly noticing the conflict between the red hair family and the man name Sirius. Luckily things resolved themselves there without him getting involved, though he noted that he would have to say something before long.

The next person to show up made the boy's heart start to hammer in his chest, though there was nothing that he recognized by her appearance. He knew it could only be his mum, and though the pictures he had of her were different than what she looked like now, it didn't matter. She could change the way she looked just as easily as he could. Still, when she did turn her hair to pink, he smiled, remembering all the stories his grandma told him about his mum.

He waited for the rest of the people to come, just itching to go out there and join them so they could start making a difference. Or maybe he was just itching to see his parents and talk to them at last. When the last person showed up a bird flew towards him, landing on his shoulder. The boy brought a hand up to stroke the bird.

"Thanks again Fawkes," he said softly. "You got them here a lot easier than I would have thought."

The bird thrilled softly before it disappeared again and the boy listened to what was going on. He heard his opening when Ron had questioned why Draco was there. And he answered the questioned, reminding himself not to let anyone know who's child he was yet. He wanted to see what his parents were like without having them know the truth.

"He is here because I want him here," he announced walking out to meet the group at last.

"And who are you exactly?" Draco asked, in a drawling voice.

"My name is Theodore, but everyone calls me Teddy."

"Do you have a last name to go with that?" Remus inquired.

"Well of course I do, but I think I will hold off telling you that for a while," Teddy stated, having some trouble hiding his smile, not to mention the longing look he wanted to give his father.

"Fine then, why did you bring us all here?" Bill asked.

"To read," Teddy answered vaguely, and again was having trouble not smiling, this time though more out of amusement than anything else.

"I think I'm going to like this guy," he heard George '_whisper_' to Fred, who was grinning.

"This isn't a joking matter, what is going on?" Hermione spoke firmly to Teddy, who gulped slightly at the look she was giving him and answered immediately. He couldn't help it, he'd seen that look before and it always meant trouble if he didn't obey.

"I came from the future …" Teddy began.

"Don't be ridiculous, how could that possibly be true?" Molly proclaimed.

"He's from the future, coming back here to change the past!" Fred exclaimed chuckling.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Teddy smiled, but it faded when he saw the disapproving look in his dad's eyes. Looking at the man that was one of the main reasons why he had come back he knew he had to be more serious.

"It's not safe for anyone to come back in time, especially if this is just some kind of joke …" Remus started to voice.

"I assure you that I am taking this matter seriously," Teddy asserted to Remus. "And this isn't just something I thought up as a whim …. though I must admit that I have been thinking about a day like this for as long as I can remember."

"I see," Remus frowned; he was having trouble reading the boy.

"Why are you here, Teddy?" Harry asked and the boy looked at him and smiled again.

"There's not much to say really," Teddy sighed. "It's best if we just read the books to see what's going to happen …. but I supposed you're right, I should tell you why I'm here at least. I come from a world that had survived another great war against Voldemort …."

Several people shivered at the name, and Teddy was amused by that fact.

"You-Know-Who doesn't win, does he?" Hermione asked, looking pale. It was the only reason she could think of for someone coming from the future to try and change things.

Teddy chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't know how odd it is hearing you call him You-Know-Who …. But to answer your question Hermione, no …. Voldemort doesn't win."

"If he doesn't win, then why did you come back?" Tonks asked looking at Teddy very curiously; there was just something about him that drew her to him.

Teddy's eyes seemed to look at her hungrily for a moment before his expression grew tight, "just because Voldemort was defeated doesn't mean that good people weren't lost …. and that there wasn't a lot of other damages done."

"Hm …. it seems reckless to go back for something like that," Hermione pointed out.

"Would you have done anything different if you could save someone you care about?" Teddy questioned.

"How do you know that by coming back here now won't make it so Voldemort wins this time?" Hermione felt that she had to say, but she knew that Teddy had a point.

"Of course there is no guarantee," Teddy said sadly, "and I supposed I'm taking a few risks that I shouldn't," he eyes traveled to Draco before he continued, "but I believe that the benefits will outweigh the risk …. Besides, it wasn't only my choice to make …. most of you in this rooms have agreed to this as well."

"Really? Would that include us as well?" Duncan, who had been silent until this moment, asked – mostly because he felt out of place here in a room full of magical people.

"Well, not exactly, but Hermione wanted you to be here," Teddy smiled at them kindly. "She felt that you deserved to know what happened."

"Which is obviously not how she feels right now," Juliet noted, looking at her daughter who was standing behind Harry looking very worried.

"I imagined not," Teddy chuckled softly, "as for the rest of you, you will all play a part in the battle that is to come, a battle that I hope we will find a way to prevent from happening all together."

"Hope …. you mean you don't have a plan already figured out," George said. "What kind of future psychic man are you?!"

Teddy laughed at this, "one with four books that hopefully will help us. I wasn't actually born until the very end of the war so I don't know too much about the details of what went on. Of course I know somethings that will happen, but not everything."

"So these books …. what are they about?" Ginny asked.

"They're about how the second war will start and finish," Teddy said. "They cover the next four years of your lives …. though they will be from mostly Harry's point of view so he, Ron and Hermione, will be the main focus."

"Isn't that just fantastic," Harry grumbled as Draco groaned, who now looked confused by Harry's tone.

"I know you don't like this," Teddy said, "but trust me, if you want to find out a way to destroy Voldemort quicker than you did in the books, there is no better view point we could have used."

"Very well," Harry said. "I supposed we should get to reading than. What is the first book called anyway."

"**Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,"** Teddy said, and he noticed Molly and Arthur look surprise at that, wary of what that might mean. He then looked at Sirius and said, "There something that I have to clarify before I read on."

"What's that?" Arthur questioned.

"That Sirius Black is innocent, what Harry and the other said earlier was completely true," Teddy proclaimed.

"I see," Arthur said, "then I supposed I should give Remus his wand back …"

"How do you know this boy is telling the truth?" Percy inquired apprehensively.

Arthur looked at Teddy closely for a long time before smiling, "I just do. I've always trusted my intuition, and it's telling me that we can trust him."

Percy scowled but didn't argue with his dad anymore.

"Shall I start reading?" Teddy then questioned, looking slightly flustered but pleased that Arthur trusted him.

"Just one second …. how did you get this …. er …. these books?" Hermione asked. "Something tells me that Harry isn't going to willing tell his life story."

"No, I don't really see him doing that either," Teddy chuckled. "It was a spell that …. well, that you invented actually …."

"I invented a spell!" Hermione exclaimed, looking excited at that information.

"Several actually, but that's not important now," Teddy said, it was going to take him awhile to adjust to to how different and yet the same the people in the room were now from what they were like in the future. "This particular spell made it so you could record certain facts about a certain time period from a certain prospective. In this case you made it so that it would gather any relative facts from your fourth year at Hogwarts, following the events of that year and centered mostly around Harry."

"Okay," Hermione replied, seeming satisfied by the answer.

"I have a question, too," Remus said, looking at Teddy with an odd expression.

Teddy couldn't quite meet his eyes, afraid that the older man would see the truth and he didn't want that to happen for as long as possible. "Yes?"

"If most of us had agreed to this plan, why were you the one that was sent back?" Remus asked.

"It's a one way ticket …. I can't go back to where I came from," Teddy answered, feeling a little sheepish; he was supposed to have said this before. He heard gasped from several of the people in the room. "That doesn't mean that there isn't still a Teddy in that time period …. This is sort of an alternate reality to the one that I have just left. That world will continue to exist no matter what goes on here.

"Anyway, as you can image not too many people wanted to come here into a reality were they already lived through …. and they didn't want to give up everything that they had gained over the years. Seeing as this spell was only created a few years ago it was a lot to give up …."

"Then why did you want to come?" Ginny asked, looking sad.

"Because I had something to gain by coming back, and not as much to lose," Teddy smiled at her sadly. "My parents were killed within a month after I was born and I wanted to get to know them …."

"Oh," several people commented, looking at the boy sadly, several of them wanting to comfort him but none of them knew him that well so it felt awkward. Harry's eyes in particular showed a painful understanding of what the boy (who admittedly seemed to be a little older than him, he was at least out of Hogwarts) went through.

"It's not quite as bad is it seems," Teddy said kindly, looking only at Harry when he said this, he didn't trust himself to not give it away if he were to look at either of his parents. "I was raised in a loving family environment with the best godfather that I could imagine …."

"Well I guess I must be your godfather then," Sirius said smugly, though his eyes were hard. He hated to think of more families being ripped apart all because another round of fighting started.

Teddy chuckled. "Not quite, but that's enough about me for now, we really should start reading."


	2. The Riddle House

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: I forgot to say in the first chapter, that I'm going to be updating every other day, but since I started the mailing list on the first, I'm going to upload the first thirteen chapters today. So on the 27th I'll be posting the fourteenth chapter.  
**

**Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Two

The Riddle House

Before anyone could question him more Teddy read,** "The Riddle House."**

This had several people reacting in various different ways; most of the people seemed to be wondering who Riddle was and what it had to do with Harry. The others looked pale and were hoping it didn't mean what they thought it did. Ginny in particular was looking like she was about to be sick.

"Who's Riddle?" Duncan Granger was the one to ask as he watched his daughter fidget in her seat in between Harry and Ginny.

"I can't be sure, but I believe the book is referring to Tom Riddle, which is the name that Voldemort was born with," Teddy explains and most of the room shuddered at hearing the name. Even the Grangers looked uncomfortable upon hearing the name, their daughter might not have told them everything but she had told them enough.

"So …. er …. does anyone know why a book about Harry would start with this house?" Juliet asked, timidly, though she voice what several people were thinking.

"No," Teddy said, when he noticed that most of the people were looking at him. "I told you, I don't know most of the things that will happen in these books …" he trailed off there and decided it was better to just start reading.

**The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. It stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its windows boarded, tiles missing from its roof, and ivy spreading unchecked over its face. Once a fine-looking manor, and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around, the Riddle House was now damp, derelict, and unoccupied.**

**The Little Hangletons all agreed that the old house was "creepy."**

"I wonder why …. it sounded like a charming little home to me," Fred commented sarcastically.

**Half a century ago,**

"Half a century …." Ginny mumbled, barely a sound came out of her but it seemed like Harry knew what she had said judging by his grimace. Ginny shivered, knowing this had to have been near the time that Tom had made his diary. Ginny felt Hermione's hand on her shoulder and she smiled weakly at her friend.

**something strange and horrible had happened there, something that the older inhabitants of the village still liked to discuss when topics for gossip were scarce. The story had been picked over so many times, and had been embroidered in so many places, that nobody was quite sure what the truth was anymore. Every version of the tale, however, started in the same place: Fifty years before, at daybreak on a fine summer's morning when the Riddle House had still been well kept and impressive, a maid had entered the drawing room to find all three Riddles dead.**

"Voldemort killed them, didn't he?" Harry asked darkly.

"I would think so," Remus said grimly.

Teddy narrowed his eyes; he couldn't imagine killing anyone, but his own family …. it was horrible, no wonder this was the man that was responsible for so much death and destruction … that this was the man that caused his own family to be ripped apart.

**The maid had run screaming down the hill into the village and roused as many people as she could.**

"**Lying there with their eyes wide open! Cold as ice! Still in their dinner things!"**

**The police were summoned, and the whole of Little Hangleton had seethed with shocked curiosity and ill-disguised excitement. Nobody wasted their breath pretending to feel very sad about the Riddles,**

"They sound like lovely people if no one care that they died," Tonks noted.

"They're Voldemort's family, what would you expect," Sirius said, and then looked at Tonks with a smile. "I see you don't flinch at Voldemort's name."

"Of course not Siri, I wouldn't want to disappoint you like that," Tonks chuckled. "Besides, I've already said his name … why would I flinch when someone else did?"

"Er …" Sirius spluttered smiling at her sheepishly; he hadn't realized that she had said his name before.

**for they had been most unpopular. Elderly Mr. and Mrs. Riddle had been rich, snobbish, and rude, and their grown-up son, Tom, had been, if anything, worse.**

"How old was their grown up son?" Fred questioned.

"I mean we are talking about You-Know-Who's father, here right?" George added.

"He had to be at least forty didn't he –"

"And still living with mommy and daddy –"

"And they're rich –"

"You would think the bloke could have gotten himself his own home or something –"

"He must have liked living with his parents?" Molly shrugged, "now hush boys, and let Teddy read."

**All the villagers cared about was the identity of their murderer — for plainly, three apparently healthy people did not all drop dead of natural causes on the same night.**

**The Hanged Man, the village pub, did a roaring trade that night; the whole village seemed to have turned out to discuss the murders.**

"Don't they have anything better to do than discuss crap like this," Ron rolled his eyes.

**They were rewarded for leaving their firesides when the Riddles' cook arrived dramatically in their midst and announced to the suddenly silent pub that a man called Frank Bryce had just been arrested.**

"**Frank!" cried several people. "Never!"**

**Frank Bryce was the Riddles' gardener. He lived alone in a run-down cottage on the grounds of the Riddle House. Frank had come back from the war with a very stiff leg and a great dislike of crowds and loud noises, and had been working for the Riddles ever since.**

"I feel bad for this guy," Harry mumbled, knowing that he was going to get blamed for something Voldemort had done.

**There was a rush to buy the cook drinks and hear more details.**

"**Always thought he was odd," she told the eagerly listening villagers, after her fourth sherry. "Unfriendly, like. I'm sure if I've offered him a cuppa once, I've offered it a hundred times. Never wanted to mix, he didn't."**

"And that must mean that he's a criminal mastermind!" Fred said sarcastically. "The guy probably just didn't like being around you gossiping hags …."

"Fred!" Molly reprimanded.

"**Ah, now," said a woman at the bar, "he had a hard war, Frank. He likes the quiet life. That's no reason to —"**

"**Who else had a key to the back door, then?" barked the cook. "There's been a spare key hanging in the gardener's cottage far back as I can remember! Nobody forced the door last night! No broken windows! All Frank had to do was creep up to the big house while we was all sleeping …"**

"Er … isn't she the cook … doesn't she have a way to get into the house too?" Duncan questioned with narrowed eyes.

"It stands to reason, but seeing as neither the cook nor Frank actually killed the Riddles, there's little point in discussing the matter," Percy said.

**The villagers exchanged dark looks.**

"**I always thought that he had a nasty look about him, right enough," grunted a man at the bar.**

"**War turned him funny, if you ask me," said the landlord.**

"Yeah …. war could have that effect on you," Sirius remarked bitterly, "but that doesn't mean you condemn the man for something that you can't prove he did."

This statement, coming from Sirius, had several people shivering, knowing how much he could relate to this man.

"**Told you I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of Frank, didn't I, Dot?" said an excited woman in the corner.**

"**Horrible temper," said Dot, nodding fervently. "I remember, when he was a kid …"**

**By the following morning, hardly anyone in Little Hangleton doubted that Frank Bryce had killed the Riddles.**

"Hmph," Hermione huffed, hating that people tend to like to gossip about morbid things like this. She was strongly reminded of her second year when everyone thought that Harry was the heir of Slytherin.

**But over in the neighboring town of Great Hangleton, in the dark and dingy police station, Frank was stubbornly repeating, again and again, that he was innocent, and that the only person he had seen near the house on the day of the Riddles' deaths had been a teenage boy, a stranger, dark-haired and pale. Nobody else in the village had seen any such boy, and the police were quite sure Frank had invented him.**

"No doubt that was Voldemort, but it probably would have been better if he didn't tell the pleasemen anything," Arthur sighed.

"Policemen," Hermione and Duncan corrected at the same time, which cause several people to stifle their laughter, as Hermione cheeks flushed.

**Then, just when things were looking very serious for Frank, the report on the Riddles' bodies came back and changed everything. The police had never read an odder report. A team of doctors had examined the bodies and had concluded that none of the Riddles had been poisoned, stabbed, shot, strangles, suffocated, or (as far as they could tell) harmed at all. In fact (the report continued, in a tone of unmistakable bewilderment), the Riddles all appeared to be in perfect health — apart from the fact that they were all dead.**

"Avada Kedavra," Remus sighed, "it leaves no marks and is impossible for Muggles to trace."

"Well it did leave one mark," Draco said nodding his head toward Harry, whose eyes widen at that. _So that was the name of the curse that I had survived as a baby._

**The doctors did note (as though determined to find something wrong with the bodies) that each of the Riddles had a look of terror upon his or her face — but as the frustrated police said, whoever heard of three people being frightened to death?**

"That would be an interesting curse," Draco mumbled to himself. "Something that would bring out your greatest fear …."

"Why are you even here?" Ron asked again, glaring at Draco.

"I told you, I wanted him here," Teddy said, looking like he wasn't thinking that was such a great idea at the moment.

"But why?" Ron continued to question.

"I'm sure you'll find out eventually," Teddy shrugged, and then started reading again.

**As there was no proof that the Riddles had been murdered at all, the police were forced to let Frank go. The Riddles were buried in the Little Hangleton churchyard, and their graves remained objects of curiosity for a while. To everyone's surprise, and amid a cloud of suspicion, Frank Bryce returned to his cottage on the grounds of the Riddle House.**

"**As far as I'm concerned, he killed them, and I don't care what the police say," said Dot in the Hanged Man. "And if he had any decency, he'd leave here, knowing as how we knows he did it."**

**But Frank did not leave.**

"You go Frank, don't let those gits bully you out of your home!" Sirius cheered, but his face was grim.

**He stayed to tend the garden for the next family who lived in the Riddle House, and then the next — for neither family stayed long.**

**Perhaps it was partly because of Frank that the new owners said there was a nasty feeling about the place, which, in the absence of inhabitants, started to fall into disrepair.**

**The wealthy man who owned the Riddle House these days neither lived there nor put it to any use; they said in the village that he kept it for "tax reasons," though nobody was very clear what these might be.**

"Oh it's quite simply actually …." Duncan started to say.

"No it's not Dear, and no one really wants to know about this," Juliet stated with an amused looked as Duncan made a face.

Ron was having trouble not laughing and was pleased that he had now discovered where Hermione got her need to explain about random facts that no one really cared about.

**The wealthy owner continued to pay Frank to do the gardening, however. Frank was nearing his seventy-seventh birthday now, very deaf, his bad leg stiffer than ever, but could be seen pottering around the flower beds in fine weather, even though the weeds were starting to creep up on him, try as he might to suppress them.**

**Weeds were not the only things Frank had to contend with either. Boys from the village made a habit of throwing stones through the windows of the Riddle House.**

"That's just rude!" Molly huffed.

"They're just lucky they're not anywhere near you, Mum," George chuckled. "I'm sure that you would have cured them of that habit in no time."

"You would think, but I don't seem to have any effect on you and Fred," Molly grumbled with a glare.

"Oh trust us, Mum, you have keep us from being mindless delinquents," Fred said.

"Yeah, we've always had to think of clever ways of getting around you," George added.

"Oh great, so now you're clever delinquents," Molly huffed and the twins smirked at her.

**They rode their bicycles over the lawns Frank worked so hard to keep smooth. Once or twice, they broke into the old house for a dare. They knew that old Frank's devotion to the house and the grounds amounted almost to an obsession, and it amused them to see him limping across the garden, brandishing his stick and yelling croakily at them.**

"But I can assure you Mum that we would never have done this," Fred frowned.

"Well, not unless it was Snape's lawn," George added with an amused glint in his eyes as several people laughed at that.

**Frank, for his part, believed the boys tormented him because they, like their parents and grandparents, thought him a murderer. So when Frank awoke one night in August and saw something very odd up at the old house, he merely assumed that the boys had gone one step further in their attempts to punish him.**

"Something tells me it's going to be for a more sinister reason than that," Remus said darkly.

"Unfortunately, you're probably right," Bill sighed, he had a feeling who would be in the house and he wasn't the only one thinking along those lines.

**It was Frank's bad leg that woke him; it was paining him worse than ever in his old age. He got up and limped downstairs into the kitchen with the idea of refilling his hot-water bottle to ease the stiffness in his knee. Standing at the sink, filling the kettle, he looked up at the Riddle House and saw lights glimmering in its upper windows. Frank knew at once what was going on. The boys had broken into the house again, and judging by the flickering quality of the light, they had started a fire.**

**Frank had no telephone, in any case, he had deeply mistrusted the police ever since they had taken him in for questioning about the Riddles' deaths.**

"I don't blame you there, I doubt that I'll ever trust the Aurors again," Sirius said.

"You don't trust me, Sirius?" Tonks queried, with a mock hurt expression on her face.

"What?" Sirius retorted.

"I'm going to be an Auror in a few months … Well, that's assuming I pass the test but I'm sure I will," Tonks explained.

"Well, then I'll trust you for now," Sirius said chuckling, and Tonks rolled her eyes.

Teddy couldn't help but laugh at the exchange; it was really nice to see his mum … happy and joking around like his grandmother had always said she was like.

**He put down the kettle at once, hurried back upstairs as fast as his bad leg would allow, and was soon back in his kitchen, fully dressed and removing a rusty old key from its hook by the door. He picked up his walking stick, which was propped against the wall, and set off into the night.**

**The front door of the Riddle House bore no sign of being forced, nor did any of the windows.**

"I don't like this," Molly mumbled, "he shouldn't be going into the house."

"No … he probably shouldn't," Arthur agreed gravely, putting an arm around his wife's waist and pulling her closer to him.

**Frank limped around to the back of the house until he reached a door almost completely hidden by ivy, took out the old key, put it into the lock, and opened the door noiselessly.**

**He let himself into the cavernous kitchen. Frank had not entered it for many years; nevertheless, although it was very dark, he remembered where the door into the hall was, and he groped his way towards it, his nostrils full of the smell of decay, ears pricked for any sound of footsteps or voices from overhead. He reached the hall, which was a little lighter owing to the large mullioned windows on either side of the front door, and started to climb the stairs, blessing the dust that lay thick upon the stone, because it muffled the sound of his feet and stick.**

"Why does he want to be so silent?" Duncan questioned, though of course he knew it was good that he was silent he just didn't understand why Frank would be.

"Maybe he wants to catch the intruders in the act or something," Neville muttered softly.

**On the landing, Frank turned right, and saw at once where the intruders were: At the every end of the passage a door stood ajar, and a flickering light shone through the gap, casting a long sliver of gold across the black floor. Frank edged closer and closer, he was able to see a narrow slice of the room beyond.**

**The fire, he now saw, had been lit in the grate. This surprised him. Then he stopped moving and listened intently, for a man's voice spoke within the room; it sounded timid and fearful.**

"**There is a little more in the bottle, My Lord, if you are still hungry."**

"My Lord," Draco mumbled, looking paled, having heard his dad say it several times, he realized who must be in this house. For some reason this gave him an unnerving feeling, and he was blaming this on the fact that he was surrounded by so many Gryffindor that it wouldn't be good for him to show any emotion about this.

"When is this book supposed to take place?" Remus asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I know it has to be within a few weeks from now," Teddy answered causing everyone to shudder.

"**Later," said a second voice. This too belonged to a man — but it was strangely high-pitched, and cold as a sudden blast of icy wind. Something about that voice made the sparse hairs on the back of Frank's neck stand up.**

"He has good senses," Sirius muttered, "I wish he would use them to run."

"Is a Gryffindor advising someone else to run?" Tonks teased him.

"Shut up, you know it's the right thing for him to do," Sirius grumbled, looking slightly offended.

**"Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail."**

Sirius growled at these words, and Remus nearly growled himself, his eyes looked murderous.

"The bloody rat!" Sirius spat out bitterly. "He went to Voldemort!"

"This is all my fault," Harry groaned, why the hell did he let Pettigrew get away?

"No Harry, it's his!" Remus said fiercely, but clearly his angry was all for the rat.

"Hold on a second …" Fred said looking shocked about something. "When you say Wormtail …"

"Do you mean the Wormtail that was one of the infamous Marauders?!" George finished the question.

"Er …." Harry responded looking a little taken aback. Apparently he had forgotten to inform the twins that he had found out who the marauders were. Harry, though rather angry and feeling guilty at the moment, gladly jumped on the chance to tell the twins all that he knew, hoping it would get Sirius out of his dark mood. "Yeah … er … I guess I forgot to mention this, but I sort of discovered who all of the marauders were …."

"Seriously!" the twin exclaimed.

"Who are they?" Fred asked.

"Do we know any of them?" George queried, eying Sirius and Remus closely, they obviously knew who this Wormtail guy is.

"I'd say," Harry chuckled. "You were taught by Professor Moony after all."

The twin turned to Remus with an awed expression and said, "You're a marauder? We were actually taught by a marauder!"

"No wonder we learned so much from him," Fred voiced thoughtfully.

"I know, I felt weird all last term that I was excited about going to a class," George added.

"You two were actually excited about going to a class?" Ginny asked, shocked.

"Trust me little sister, we were more shocked than anyone," Fred stated gravely.

"But at least we know there was a reason for that now," George beamed.

"Well I'm glad that I found a way to reach you," Remus sighed at the excited expression of the twins, he was just glad that they hadn't found this out while he was actually their teachers.

"So I take it that you were called Moony because you're a werewolf," Neville said reasonably.

"Yes … James seemed to think it was a clever name," Remus replied with a sad smile.

"You're a werewolf!" Duncan exclaimed and Juliet seemed to be just as shocked and scared by that.

"That doesn't mean anything! It doesn't change who he is, or the fact that he was the best Defense Professor we've ever had!" Hermione said to her parents, hotly.

Duncan tried to gather his thoughts, finding it hard to grasp that a) werewolves were real and b) one of them was sitting in this room not too far from him and his family. However, looking at said werewolf and how the expression in his eyes was sad and yet understanding he felt bad about his exclamation.

"I'm sorry …" he started to say.

"Don't worry about it, I get this all the time," Remus sighed.

"I think what my husband is trying to say is that it is hard for us to understand that all the creature and stories we heard about are true …. or at least there is a possibility that they might be true," Juliet tried to explained. "It's hard to cope with that, especially when werewolves aren't really seen in a good light in most of our stories …"

"Well, that's not much different than in the wizarding world," Remus smiled at her kindly. "But I hope I can prove to you that not all werewolves are like that …."

"You don't have to prove anything to me Remus," Juliet returned his smile.

No one seemed to notice the scowl that grew on Teddy's face as the talk about the werewolves took place; this had always been a touchy subject for him. Nor did they notice that he smiled when the Grangers seemed to accept his dad.

"So now that all that wolf nonsense is out of the way can we talk about me now?" Sirius interjected.

"Go ahead," Remus rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Are you a marauder too?" George asked excited.

"Messr. Padfoot at your service," Sirius smiled, finding it hard to stay angry at the _rat_ when the twins were this excited.

"Brilliant!" the twins exclaimed.

"And my dad was Prongs," Harry added with a smile.

"No wonder it felt right giving you the map," George said reasonably.

"You're the son of a marauder," Fred chuckled.

"I'm just wondering what are the marauders, what map are you talking about, and how do my sons know about them?" Molly inquired in a dangerous voice and Teddy decided it was time to start reading again. The twins, Sirius, Remus and Harry all shot him a grateful look, though they were wondering how much he knew about the marauders.

**Frank turned his right ear toward the door, the better to hear. There came the clink of a bottle being put down upon some hard surface, and then the dull scraping noise of a heavy chair being dragged across the floor. Frank caught a glimpse of a small man, his back to the door, pushing the chair into place. He was wearing a long black cloak, and there was a bald patch at the back of his head. Then he went out of sight again.**

"**Where is Nagini?" said the cold voice.**

"Who's Nagini … he doesn't have another person helping him out, does he?" Remus questioned, it was bad enough if … the _rat _… was helping him, but to have someone else there too ….

"I believe that Nagini is Voldemort's snake," Teddy commented, trying not smirk as he avoided looking at Neville, that story was one of the few things that was recorded in all of the history books about the second war.

"**I — I don't know, My Lord," said the first voice nervously. "She set out to explore the house, I think…"**

"**You will milk her before we retire, Wormtail,"**

"Er …. milk a snake?" Fred said making a face.

"He's probably referring to her venom," Percy reasoned.

Teddy shot a fleeting look at Arthur before he started reading again.

**said the second voice. "I will need feeding in the night. The journey has tired me greatly."**

**Brow furrowed, Frank inclined his good ear still closer to the door, listening very hard. There was a pause, and then the man called Wormtail spoke again.**

"**My Lord, may I ask how long we are going to stay here?"**

"**A week," said the cold voice. "Perhaps longer. The place is moderately comfortable, and the plan cannot proceed yet. It would be foolish to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over."**

Harry shuddered at that, not liking that Voldemort was planning something and fearing that it had something to do with him. Judging by all the glances full of sympathy he was getting, he wasn't the only one thinking this.

**Frank inserted a gnarled finger into his ear and rotated it. Owing, no doubt, to a buildup of earwax, he had heard the word "Quidditch," which was not a word at all.**

"It most definitely is a word!" several people interjected indignantly.

"It's only referring to the best sport in the world," Fred said.

"The best wizarding sport in the world," Duncan corrected. "I've never even heard of this Quidditch."

"What? Hermione how could you not tell your dad about Quidditch?!" Ron exclaimed.

"I'm sure I mentioned it," Hermione shrugged before she turned to her dad and added, "I'm sure I told you that Harry was on the Gryffindor team, Dad."

"Oh …. so Quidditch is that game on brooms you tried to tell me about," Duncan said.

"That game on brooms …" Ron said shaking his head. "You're going to have to come over to our house Mr. Granger and we'll show you what Quidditch is really like."

"That sound nice," Duncan smiled; he was always interested in learning something new.

"**The — the Quidditch World Cup, My Lord?" said Wormtail. (Frank dug his finger still more vigorously into his ear.) "Forgive me, but — I do not understand – why should we wait until the World Cup is over?"**

"**Because, fool, at this very moment wizards are pouring into the country from all over the world, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty, on the watch for signs of unusual activity, checking and double-checking identities. They will be obsessed with security, lest the Muggles notice anything. So we wait."**

**Frank stopped trying to clear out his ear. He had distinctly heard the words "Ministry of Magic," "wizards," and "Muggles." Plainly, each of these expressions meant something secret, and Frank could think of only two sorts of people who would speak in code: spies and criminals.**

"Not a bad theory," Remus said.

"But he's completely wrong," Sirius asserted.

"Not completely," Remus corrected. "We're not spies and not all of us are criminals, but we do live in a world that is hidden from him and secrecy is a very high priority for us."

**Frank tightened his hold on his walking stick once more, and listened more closely still.**

"**Your Lordship is still determined, then?" Wormtail said quietly.**

"**Certainly I am determined, Wormtail." There was a note of menace in the cold voice now.**

**A slight pause followed — and the Wormtail spoke, the words tumbling from him in a rush, as though he was forcing himself to say this before he lost his nerve.**

"**It could be done without Harry Potter, My Lord."**

Everyone in the room seemed to react to this statement.

Sirius growled again, muttering darkly about Voldemort and his rat. Remus was clenching his fist again. Molly whimpered and turned into Arthur's chest. Ron and Hermione groaned and looked at Harry, who was trying not to look terrified at the news that Voldemort was indeed plotting something to do with him.

**Another pause, more protracted, and then —**

"**Without Harry Potter?" breathed the second voice softly. "I see…"**

"**My Lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy!" said Wormtail, his voice rising squeakily.**

"Of course you don't! You don't have any bloody humanity left in you, you bloody rat!" Sirius growled.

"Hm …" Arthur hummed thoughtfully. "Sirius, are you an Animagus as well?"

"Huh?" Sirius said, stopping in the middle of his ranting to look at Arthur. "Oh … yeah, I'm a dog …"

"So that's how you got out of Azkaban!" Arthur shouted.

"Yeah," Sirius said.

"You're an Animagus!" Molly spluttered in shock.

"Yep, since the middle of our fifth year," Sirius grinned at her.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!" Molly huffed. "You could have been seriously hurt …"

"We had to help Remus!" Sirius cutting her off with a firm tone. "He was clawing himself up every full moon. As soon as we found out that werewolves weren't a danger to other animals we knew we had to do it … what other choice did we have?!"

Molly still glared at Sirius but she didn't say anything, having been touched by his explanation. Sirius was obviously a good friend, if nothing else.

**"The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all! It is merely that if we were to use another witch or wizard — any wizard — the thing could be done so much more quickly! If you allowed me to leave you for a short while — you know that I can disguise myself most effectively — I could be back here in as little as two days with a suitable person —"**

"**I could use another wizard," said the cold voice softly, "that is true …"**

"But he wouldn't want it to be so common …." Ginny said in an emotionless voice.

Harry looked at her sadly, knowing that she was right and was sadden by how she would know that.

"**My Lord, it makes sense," said Wormtail, sounding thoroughly relieved now. "Laying hands on Harry Potter would be so difficult, he is so well protected —"**

"Now you're just goading him to use Harry," Fred said.

"**And so you volunteer to go and fetch me a substitute? I wonder… perhaps the task of nursing me has become wearisome for you, Wormtail? Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert me?"**

"**My Lord! I — I have no wish to leave you, none at all —"**

"**Do not lie to me!" hissed the second voice. "I can always tell, Wormtail! You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look at me, feel you shudder when you touch me …"**

"Then why does he stay with him?" Duncan commented. "Couldn't he just walk away from this Lord fellow and be done with him?"

"No, I don't think he could do that," Remus said bitterly. "As terrified as he is of staying with Voldemort, he's more afraid of leaving him."

"Well he has a right to be …. I'll tear that bloody bastard to pieces if I could just get my hands on him," Sirius growled.

"**No! My devotion to Your Lordship —"**

"**Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice. You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go. How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours? Who is to milk Nagini?"**

"**But you seem so much stronger, My Lord —"**

"**Liar," breathed the second voice. "I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of the little health I have regained under your clumsy care. Silence!"**

**Wormtail, who had been sputtering incoherently, fell silent at once. For a few seconds, Frank could hear nothing but the fire crackling. Then the second man spoke once more, in a whisper that was almost a hiss.**

"**I have my reasons for using the boy, as I have already explained to you, and I will use no other. I have waited thirteen years. A few more months will make no difference. As for the protection surrounding the boy, I believe my plan will be effective. All that is needed is a little courage from you, Wormtail — courage you will find, unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Voldermort's wrath —"**

"But could he really hurt Wormtail now?" Harry asked. "Is he capable of using magic?"

"I can't know for sure," Teddy answered. "But I would think he could."

"**My Lord, I must speak!" said Wormtail, panic in his voice now. "All through our journey I have gone over the plan in my head — My Lord, Bertha Jorkin's disappearance**

Arthur gasped at that, he had heard rumors about her being missing.

**will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I murder —"**

"**If?" whispered the second voice. "If? If you follow the plan, Wormtail, the Ministry need never know that anyone else has died. You will do it quietly and without fuss; I only wish that I could do it myself, but in my present condition… Come, Wormtail, one more death and our path to Harry Potter is clear.**

"You better keep you bloody hands off him!" Sirius grumbled under his breath.

**I am not asking you to do it alone. By that time, my faithful servant will have rejoined us —"**

"That's definitely not good," Remus said, "does anyone know who he might be talking about."

Several people were looking thoughtfully at that, but none of them could come up with anyone that Voldemort would call his _faithful_ servant.

"I just hope it's not my _favorite_ cousin," Sirius said shuddering at just the idea of her being let loose on the world again.

"Don't say that," Tonks shivered too. "Aunt Bellatrix is best left in Azkaban to rot."

Neville looked up at them, his eyes growing cold as he clenched his fist. He hadn't realized that the people that were sitting across from him were related to that sorry excuse for a human being, but at least it looked like they hated her nearly as much as he did.

"Aunt Bellatrix?" Draco inquired looking at Tonks oddly.

Tonks looked at him and sighed, "you didn't even know that I was your cousin did you?"

"What?" several people shouted, Harry the loudest among them (though Neville was a close second, he was now glaring at Draco because he knew that the blonde boy was likely to be closer to Bellatrix than the other two were). Harry had no idea that Sirius was related to Draco.

"I didn't even know your name so how should I know if you're my cousin or not?" Draco drawled indifferently. "Though I take this to mean that your Nymphadora …"

"Tonks," Tonks said firmly.

"Hmph … you didn't threaten him," Sirius grumbled.

"But yes that is me," Tonks said, ignoring Sirius' comment.

"Hm …" was all Draco had to say to that.

"**I am a faithful servant,"**

"Ha …. you're not faithful to anyone or anything!" Sirius snarled.

**said Wormtail, the merest trace of sullenness in his voice.**

"**Wormtail, I need somebody with brains, somebody whose loyalty has never wavered, and you, unfortunately, fulfill neither requirement."**

"**I found you," said Wormtail, and there was definitely a sulky edge to his voice now. "I was the one who found you. I brought you Bertha Jorkins."**

"**That is true," said the second man, sounding amused. "A stroke of brilliance I would not have thought possible from you, Wormtail — though, if truth be told, you were not aware how useful she would be when you caught her, were you?"**

Percy frowned at that, wondering how Bertha could be useful … what information could she have that would be of value to Voldemort?

"**I — I thought she might be useful, My Lord —"**

"**Liar," said the second voice again, the cruel amusement more pronounced than ever. "However, I do not deny that her information was invaluable. Without it, I could never have formed our plan, and for that, you will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform …"**

Several of the adults paled at that, it could have been just a comment, but it could also mean that Wormtail would have to literally give up his right hand.

"**R-really, My Lord? What —?" Wormtail sounded terrified again.**

"**Ah, Wormtail, you don't want me to spoil the surprise? Your part will come at the very end… but I promise you, you will have the honor of being just as useful as Bertha Jorkins."**

"**You… you…" Wormtail's voice suddenly sounded hoarse, as though his mouth had gone very dry. "You… are going… to kill me too?"**

"**Wormtail, Wormtail," said the cold voice silkily, "why would I kill you? I killed Bertha because I had to. She was fit for nothing after my questioning, quite useless. In any case, awkward questions would have been asked if she had gone back to the Ministry with the news that she had met you on her holidays. Wizards who are supposed to be dead would do well not to run into ****Ministry of Magic witches at wayside inns…"**

**Wormtail muttered something so quietly that Frank could not hear it, but it made the second man laugh — an entirely mirthless laugh, cold as his speech.**

"**We could have modified her memory? But Memory Charms can be broken by a powerful wizard, as I proved when I questioned her. It would be an insult to her memory not to use the information I extracted from her, Wormtail."**

Percy raised an eyebrow at this, it seemed that Bertha had a Memory Charm on her and whatever valuable information she had been guarded. Again he tried to think of something that would explain this, but of course came up with nothing.

**Out in the corridor, Frank suddenly became aware that the hand gripping his walking stick was slippery with sweat. The man with the cold voice had killed a woman. He was talking about it without any kind of remorse — with amusement.**

"Voldemort wouldn't know what remorse was if it bit him in the arse," Teddy muttered darkly.

**He was dangerous — a madman. And he was planning more murders — this boy, Harry Potter, whoever he was — was in danger — Frank knew what he must do.**

Molly sighed at this, this man, not even knowing who Harry was, was going to try and help him … all the same she knew it was unlikely he would get out of there. You-Know-Who wouldn't let someone that has heard so much of his plans just get away.

**Now, if ever, was the time to go to the police. He would creep out of the house and head straight for the telephone box in the village… but the cold voice was speaking again, and Frank remained where he was, frozen to the spot, listening with all his might.**

"It would be much better if you left," Remus remarked.

"Or the remorseless murderer will turn his attention on you," Teddy added darkly.

"**One more murder… my faithful servant at Hogwarts… Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail. It is decided. There will be no more argument. But quiet… I think I hear Nagini…"**

**And the second man's voice changed. He started making noises such as Frank had never heard before; he was hissing and spitting without drawing breath. Frank thought he must be having some sort of fit or seizure.**

Juliet however, thought that he might actually be talking to the snake, a very disturbing thought for her to comprehend, but she was already learning that nothing is impossible in this world.

Naturally, all of the magical people knew he was indeed talking to the snake.

**And then Frank heard movement behind him in the dark passageway. He turned to look, and found himself paralyzed with fright. Something was slithering toward him along the dark corridor floor, and as it drew nearer to the sliver of firelight, he realized with a thrill of terror that it was a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long. Horrified, transfixed, Frank stared as its undulating body cut a wide, curving track through the thick dust on the floor, coming closer and closer — What was he to do? The only means of escape was into the room where the two men sat plotting murder, yet if he stayed where he was the snake would surely kill him —**

"Actually I think it's more of a sure thing that you'll die if you go into that room," Draco commented and no one disagreed with that.

**But before he had made his decision, the snake was level with him, and then, incredibly, miraculously, it was passing; it was following the spitting, hissing noises made by the cold voice beyond the door, and in seconds, the tip of its diamond-patterned tail had vanished through the gap.**

**There was sweat on Frank's forehead now, and the hand on the walking stick was trembling.**

"Now's the time to run Frank …. it's your last chance," George said.

"It's already too late for him," declared Harry. "Nagini will tell Voldemort that he was there … there's no way that he would just let this Muggle get away."

"You mean he really can talk to the snake!" Juliet exclaimed, despite her previous thoughts, she was shocked.

"Yeah Voldemort is a Parselmouth," Sirius said. "It's no wonder really … I mean everyone knows you can't trust a Parselmouth, it's supposed to be a really dark art."

Harry looked at Sirius sadly as a sinking feeling filled his gut.

Remus was looking at Harry questioningly, he could tell that this was bothering the boy but he wasn't exactly sure why. So he spoke, "Actually Parselmouth isn't considered a dark art …"

"Perhaps not," Sirius responded. "But I've never heard of a decent person that was a Parselmouth …"

"So you're saying that Harry's not a decent person!" Ginny exclaimed, glaring at Sirius.

Teddy's mouth went thin with amusement at Ginny's defense of Harry, especially since she was already starting to blush, and pointedly not looking at Harry.

"What?" Sirius said blinking several times. "I … I didn't know …"

"And let me just tell you this, Sirius Black, I for one am glad that Harry is a Parselmouth!" Ginny continued to shout despite her embarrassment. "If it wasn't for that fact he wouldn't have been able to save me for the Chamber of Secrets! And he went down there even though he knew he was going to have to face a basilisk!"

"Basilisk! Harry what is she talking about?" Remus asked, still shocked at learning that Harry was a Parselmouth but that was nothing to hearing he faced a basilisk.

"Er … my second year," Harry said rubbing the back of his neck, "I sort of fought …"

"And killed," Ron added.

"… A basilisk," Harry continued, "But Fawkes helped me … and the sword of Gryffindor …"

"What?" Remus queried. "I don't understand."

Harry sighed, and told Remus and Sirius (and the Grangers) about what had happened in his second year at Hogwarts, seeing as it only took about twenty minutes he didn't tell them everything but by the end of it they looked paled.

"Merlin, I thought that last year was strenuous … but this …" Remus trailed off.

Harry just shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what else to say.

"Harry … I'm sorry," Sirius said sadly. "I didn't mean what I said early … about Parselmouths …"

"Yeah … whatever," Harry said feeling uncomfortable, not sure if Sirius really meant that or if he was just saying it now to make him feel better.

"He means it Harry," Remus assured him, noticing the look on Harry's face. "This is the man that is best friends with a werewolf after all … he doesn't really care about what is supposed to be dark and dangerous … just what actually is."

"Thanks," Harry smiled at Remus and when Teddy started reading again he turned to Ginny and thanked her too, for standing up for him like that.

Ginny blushed crimson at being addressed by Harry, and mumbled _you're welcome _so lowly that he couldn't understand her.

**Inside the room, the cold voice was continuing to hiss, and Frank was visited by a strange idea, an impossible idea… This man could talk to snakes. Frank didn't understand what was going on. He wanted more than anything to be back in his bed with his hot-water bottle. The problem was that his legs didn't seem to want to move. As he stood there shaking and trying to master himself, the cold voice switched abruptly to English again.**

"**Nagini has interesting news, Wormtail," it said.**

"**In-indeed, My Lord?" said Wormtail.**

"**Indeed, yes," said the voice, "According to Nagini, there is an old Muggle standing right outside this room, listening to every word we say."**

Everyone sighed at this, feeling bad for this man's (that had done nothing wrong) fate.

**Frank didn't have a chance to hide himself. There were footsteps and then the door of the room was flung wide open.**

**A short, balding man with graying hair, a pointed nose, and small, watery eyes stood before Frank, a mixture of fear and alarm in his face.**

"**Invite him inside, Wormtail. Where are your manners?" The cold voice was coming from the ancient armchair before the fire, but Frank couldn't see the speaker. The snake, on the other hand, was curled up on the rotting hearth rug, like some horrible travesty of a pet dog.**

"That is so not a dog!" Sirius huffed indignantly.

**Wormtail beckoned Frank into the room. Though still deeply shaken, Frank took a firmer grip on his walking stick and limped over the threshold.**

**The fire was the only source of light in the room; it cast long, spidery shadows upon the walls. Frank stared at the back of the armchair; the man inside it seemed to be even smaller than his servant, for Frank couldn't even see the back of his head.**

"**You heard everything, Muggle?" said the cold voice.**

"**What's that you're calling me?" said Frank defiantly, for now that he was inside the room, now that the time had come for some sort of action, he felt braver; it had always been so in the war.**

"He probably would have made a good Gryffindor if he was a wizard," Arthur sighed, knowing that was the way he felt when he was facing danger. Several people nodded their heads gravely at that comment.

"**I am calling you a Muggle," said the voice coolly. "It means that you are not a wizard."**

"**I don't know what you mean by wizard," said Frank, his voice growing steadier. "All I know is I've heard enough to interest the police tonight, I have. You've done murder and you're planning more! And I'll tell you this too," he added, on a sudden inspiration, "my wife knows I'm up here, and if I don't come back —"**

"I doubt that would work even if Voldemort wasn't accomplish in the art of Legilimency and can see that you are lying to him," Remus said.

"What's Legilimency?" Hermione questioned.

"It's an obscure branch of magic that allows one to navigate through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings," Percy explained, reciting the passage he had read about this subject not too long ago, thinking about studying it himself if he ever found enough time away from his work.

"You mean he could read minds?" Harry asked.

"In a sense, but it is more complicated than that," Remus said kindly.

"**You have no wife," said the cold voice, very quietly. "Nobody knows you are here. You told nobody that you were coming. Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Muggle, for he knows… he always knows…"**

"**Is that right?" said Frank roughly. "Lord, is it? Well, I don't think much of your manners, My Lord. Turn 'round and face me like a man, why don't you?"**

"Well you can't say that this guy doesn't have spunk," Fred chuckled, but he was now feeling worse about what was surely about to happen.

"**But I am not a man, Muggle," said the cold voice, barely audible now over the crackling of the flames. "I am much, much more than a man.**

"Yeah effing right! You're much less than a man!" Ginny hissed.

"I couldn't agree with you more," Harry declared coldly, glaring at the book.

**However… why not? I will face you… Wormtail, come turn my chair around."**

**The servant gave a whimper.**

"**You heard me, Wormtail."**

**Slowly, with his face screwed up, as though he would rather have done anything than approach his master and the hearth rug where the snake lay, the small man walked forward and began to turn the chair. The snake lifted its ugly triangular head and hissed slightly as the legs of the chair snagged on its rug.**

**And then the chair was facing Frank, and he saw what was sitting in it. His walking stick fell to the floor with a clatter. He opened his mouth and let out a scream. He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled. He was dead before he hit the floor.**

Teddy read this very gravely.

**Two hundred miles away, the boy called Harry Potter woke with a start.**

"What?" everyone exclaimed.

"What does that have to do with Harry?" Hermione asked worried.

"Did he see that or something?" Ron questioned uncertainly.

"That was the end of the chapter," Teddy announced holding out the book, "The fastest way to learn what happen is for someone else to read."

"I'll read," Remus who was sitting nearest to the boy said. As soon as he had the book, he quickly began reading the next chapter.


	3. The Scar

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Three

The Scar

"**The Scar," **Remus read.

"What …. what does this have to do with my scar?" Harry questioned, feeling wary. His scar was something that connected him to Voldemort… and after that first chapter he fear what that would mean.

"I think it's best if we let Remus read some more," Sirius said, trying to sound reassuring, but he was just as worried at Harry was.

**Harry lay flat on his back, breathing hard as though he had been running. He had awoken from a vivid dream with his hands pressed over his face. The old scar on his forehead, which was shaped like a bolt of lightning, was burning beneath his fingers as though someone had just pressed a white-hot wire to his skin.**

"You poor boy," Molly mumbled, "Does it hurt often?"

"No," Harry said looking pale. "It …. it's only ever hurt in my first year …."

"When You-Know-Who was near you," Ron finished for Harry when he had trailed off, looking scared. Ron, too, was terrified about what this meant. "But he couldn't be there now, could he? I mean you'd know if he was there …."

"I'm sure that this has something to do with your dream," Hermione reasoned, looking just as wary as Ron. "Of course I've never heard of a scar hurting because of a dream … maybe I should look it up …"

"Hermione," Harry said exasperated, "I don't think you'll be able to find any answer in a book about my scar."

"You're probably right," Hermione was force to admit, "but you really should ask Dumbledore …. he's probably the only one that might have some answers about this."

"You're right," Harry agreed and then looked thoughtful. "It would be kind of good if he was here …."

"Sorry," Teddy said frowning. "But I was warned that it might be bad if he was here …."

"Warned … warned by who?" Hermione questioned.

"By Dumbledore …. er …. at least his portrait," Teddy said.

"So Dumbledore told you not to have him here," Fred said his mouth twitching. "Come on, doesn't anyone else find that funny?"

"I do," George said, but no one else seemed to be paying attention to the twins.

"What was his reason for not wanting to have his younger version here?" Remus asked.

Teddy sighed. "Probably the same reason that you and several other people think that I shouldn't have come here at all. That it's dangerous to meddle in the past (or at least it's my past and your future). And just so you know, I did get the future Dumbledore's consent before I came back …."

"I thought you said he was a portrait?" Percy pointed out.

"Fine, I got the portrait's consent," Teddy rolled his eyes. "He just realized that his past self would have been wary of changing the past so much, because it could lead to a worse outcome than my time line. And having the weight of the world on his shoulders, it would have been harder for him to want to go along with this."

"And what's your plan for when we finish reading these books?" Neville questioned thoughtfully. "Aren't you going to have to involve Dumbledore then?"

"Yes, but we'll just have to worry about that bridge when we get to it," Teddy sighed.

"That's nice and all, but I still didn't get an answer about my scar," Harry mumbled.

"The way I understand it, your scar hurts not only when Voldemort was near you, but also when he was having a strong emotion about something," Teddy said.

"You couldn't have just said that earlier, could you?" Sirius grumbled under his breath.

"So you don't think he's there," Harry said, ignoring his godfather and looking relieved when Teddy nodded his head.

**He sat up, one hand still on his scar, the other hand reaching out in the darkness for his glasses, which were on the bedside table. He put them on and his bedroom came into clearer focus, lit by a faint, misty orange light that was filtering through the curtains from the street lamp outside the window.**

**Harry ran his fingers over the scar again. It was still painful. He turned on the lamp beside him, scrambled out of bed, crossed the room, opened his wardrobe, and peered into the mirror on the inside of the door. A skinny boy of fourteen looked back at him, his bright green eyes puzzled under his untidy black hair.**

"Wow Potter, I knew you were slow, but I can't believe that you haven't figured out what a mirror is by now," Draco sneered.

"Shut up," Harry huffed, he was still wary about what his scar hurting meant and he didn't need Malfoy's insults right now.

**He examined the lightning-bolt scar of his reflection more closely. It looked normal, but it was still stinging.**

**Harry tried to recall what he had been dreaming about before he had awoken. It had seemed so real … There had been two people he knew and one he didn't … He concentrated hard, frowning, trying to remember … The dim picture of a darkened room came to him … There had been a snake on a hearth rug … a small man called Peter, nicknamed Wormtail … and a cold, high voice … the voice of Lord Voldemort.**

"So you really saw all of that!" Sirius groaned.

"I doubt he saw the first half of the chapter, but it stands to reason that he saw the discussion between Voldemort and Pettigrew," Bill said reasonably.

"I hope this won't become a recurring thing," Harry grumbled, not liking the idea that he would see things like this … see Voldemort murdering people and not being able to do anything to stop him.

Teddy looked at Harry sadly, he didn't know the extent of Harry's visions, but he knew that he was going to have several more of them in the future.

**Harry felt as though an ice cube had slipped down into his stomach at the very thought …**

**He closed his eyes tightly and tried to remember what Voldemort had looked like,**

"Why the bloody hell would you want to do that?" Ron said.

"Ronald!" Molly scolded.

"No he's right, why would you want to try and remember old snake face?" Fred said.

"I don't know," Harry shrugged, he didn't actually experience this yet and he wasn't looking forward to experiencing it in the future. "But it seems important …. I mean if this was real …. it would be important to remember the details, right?"

**but it was impossible … All Harry knew was that at the moment when Voldemort's chair had swung around, and he, Harry, had seen what was sitting in it, he had felt a spasm of horror, which had awoken him … or had that been the pain in his scar?**

**And who had the old man been? For there had definitely been an old man; Harry had watched him fall to the ground.**

Harry grimaced; he definitely didn't want to go through this in the future. He felt Hermione grab his hand and Ron put a hand on his shoulder. Their silent show of support made him feel slightly better; it was good that they were there for him.

**It was all becoming confused. Harry put his face into his hands, blocking out his bedroom, trying to hold on to the picture of that dimly lit room, but it was like trying to keep water in his cupped hands; the details were now trickling away as fast as he tried to hold on to them …**

"Then just remember the most important facts and forget about the details," Remus advised.

"I'll try to remember that," Harry said bitterly.

"Actually Harry, thanks to these books, you won't have to try to remember anything," Teddy pointed out.

Harry looked at him with a grateful smile, though he realized that couldn't stop this vision from coming to him …. at least he wouldn't have to worry about the meaning behind it as his book self had to.

**Voldemort and Wormtail had been talking about someone they had killed, though Harry could not remember the name … and they had been plotting to kill someone else … him!**

This caused everyone to shiver at the mere thought of Voldemort being after Harry.

**Harry took his face out of his hands, opened his eyes, and stared around his bedroom as though expecting to see something unusual there. As it happened, there was an extraordinary number of unusual things in this room. A large wooden trunk stood open at the foot of his bed, revealing a cauldron, broomstick, black robes, and assorted spellbooks. Rolls of parchment littered that part of his desk that was not taken up by the large, empty cage in which his snowy owl, Hedwig, usually perched. On the floor beside his bed a book lay open; Harry had been reading it before he fell asleep last night. The pictures in this book were all moving. Men in bright orange robes were zooming in and out of sight on broomsticks, throwing a red ball to one another.**

"You really should clean up after yourself some more," Hermione commented and Harry rolled his eyes.

"I don't see anything unusual about that," Sirius commented.

"It sounds unusually to me," Duncan said. "Or it would have before we found out that Hermione was a witch. Maybe this book is written from a Muggle's perspective."

"I thought it was from Harry's perspective?" Remus said.

"It is," Teddy chuckled. "But I believe that A …. er …. Hermione threatened to have them published in the Muggle world if Harry ever got too whinny about his fame."

Harry was now glaring at Hermione, who was looking shocked, embarrassed and amused all in one. Almost everyone else in the room was laughing at this.

"Nice one Hermione!" Ron chuckled and Harry turned his glare at him, as well.

**Harry walked over to the book, picked it up, and watched on of the wizards score a spectacular goal by putting the ball through a fifty-foot-high hoop. Then he snapped the book shut. Even Quidditch — in Harry's opinion, the best sport in the world — couldn't distract him at the moment.**

"Wow …. you really are worried aren't you?" George shook his head. "If Quidditch can't help."

**He placed Flying with the Cannons on his bedside table,**

"Never mind what I said, how could the Cannons help distract anyone," George said making a face.

"Yeah, they're so terrible it would only depress you more to see how they attempt to play Quidditch," Fred added.

"Oi, leave them alone!" Ron shouted as Sirius shouted, "The Cannons are awesome!"

"You like the Cannons!" Ron shouted gleefully and the twins incredulously.

"Yeah, I remember the first game I went to, they killed the Tornadoes, my parents' favorite team, 420-10, it was brilliant!"

"The Cannons actually won a game!" the twins said.

"Well, it was their only win they had that season," Sirius admitted reluctantly, but then smiled, "but it kept the Tornadoes out of the playoffs. How can I not be a fan of them after that?!"

"Be that as it may, I don't think I'll be taking any Quidditch advice from you," Fred said.

"You shouldn't be so quick to say that," Remus said, "Sirius was an excellent beater when we went to Hogwarts."

"Really?!" the twins said more excitedly than before but still a little cautions.

"I'd like to see that," Fred said.

"Hm …. I'll be happy to show you my amazing skills," Sirius smirked, but he was wondering how rusty he was now after years of not playing.

**crossed to the window, and drew back the curtains to survey the street below.**

**Privet Drive looked exactly as a respectable suburban street would be expected to look in the early hours of Saturday morning. All the curtains were closed. As far as Harry could see through the darkness, there wasn't a living creature in sight, not even a cat.**

"So I guess not even McGonagall was there," Sirius teased, in a good mood after the talk on Quidditch.

"Er …. why would she be there?" Harry said, feeling slightly paranoid all of a sudden.

"No reason …. I was just saying," Sirius shrugged.

**And yet… and yet… Harry went restlessly back to the bed and sat down on it, running a finger over his scar again. It wasn't the pain that bothered him; Harry was no stranger to pain and injury.**

"That's for sure," Harry agreed with his own thoughts and almost everyone sighed at that.

**He had lost all the bones from his right arm once and had them painfully regrown in a night.**

"How did you lose the bones in your arm?!" Juliet asked horrified.

"By a git vanishing them in an attempt to heal a broken arm," Ron answered.

"That wasn't very smart, you probably shouldn't have let that person do that," Remus said.

"Oh trust me, I didn't want him doing it, but Lockhart wouldn't listen at all," Harry groaned.

"Lockhart, huh?" Remus said, he had heard a lot of complaints about Lockhart during his time at Hogwarts and he knew how much Lockhart liked to brag about being good at everything, but in fact he was just useless.

"Lockhart? Wasn't that your Defense Professor that you couldn't stop talking about a few years ago?" Duncan asked to Hermione, who turned red.

"Dad!" Hermione complained as the Weasley boys sniggered, Ron the hardest of them all. "I only talked about him because I thought that he did all the things he had wrote about in his book …."

"Yes …. I'm sure that's why," Juliet said amused and Hermione glared at her mum.

"What do you mean by thought …. Didn't he do all those thing?" Duncan asked.

"No," Ron was the one to answer, his laughter at Hermione's expense dying as he remember just how they discovered that Lockhart was a fake. "He just wrote that he did things that a bunch of other witches and wizards did and once he got their story, he would erase their memories."

"That's awful!" Juliet said.

"That man is despicable," Duncan grimaced, this is one of the worst things he could think of someone doing.

**The same arm had been pierced by a venomous foot-long fang not long afterward.**

Everyone looked at Harry who muttered, "The basilisk."

"It's actually bit you?" Sirius said paling.

"Er …. yeah, but it was okay because Fawkes was right there," Harry said, wishing that this wasn't in the book, he had purposely not mention this when he explained about his second year because he didn't want Sirius and Remus to look at him like they were right now.

"That was lucky," Remus said looking just as pale as Sirius, but noticing Harry's discomfort, started reading again.

Ginny however was listening as she shuddered at the reminder of what happened in the Chamber … of how close Harry had come to dying because of her.

**Only last year Harry had fallen fifty feet from an airborn broomstick.**

"Stupid Dementors!" Sirius growled.

"How did you know that Dementors where there?" Percy questioned.

"I was at the game of course … you didn't think I would pass up the chance of seeing my godson play, do you?" Sirius said proudly.

Harry on the other hand was thinking about what the Dementors had force him to relive every time that they had gotten close to him and he shivered.

**He was used to bizarre accidents and injuries; they were unavoidable if you attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and had a knack for attracting a lot of trouble.**

"You might not have such a knack if you didn't go looking for trouble," Molly scolded lightly.

"Honestly, I don't look for trouble as much as it comes and finds me," Harry said.

"You do a fair amount of looking, Harry," Hermione corrected.

"Don't you mean '_we_' and not '_you_'," Fred said with a smirk.

"Okay, we do a fair about of looking," Hermione rolled her eyes. "We don't really _have_ to investigate all the things that we find out."

"I've never heard this complaint while we're actually doing the investigating," Harry grumbled.

"Well of course not, I'm too curious to know what's really going on," Hermione admitted, which caused Harry to chuckle.

"And this is coming from the voice of reason in the group," Ginny said, causing everyone to laugh this time, and she started to blush when Harry turned to smile at her.

**No, the thing that was bothering Harry was the last time his scar had hurt him, it had been because Voldemort had been close by … But Voldemort couldn't be here, now … The idea of Voldemort lurking in Privet Drive was absurd, impossible …**

"Terrifying," Harry added, his laughter (along with most of the others) vanished as he thought of that happening.

**Harry listened closely to the silence around him. Was he half expecting to hear the creak of a stair or the swish of a cloak? And then he jumped slightly as he heard his cousin Dudley give a tremendous grunting snore from the next room.**

"Well, I'm sure that would scare anyone," Fred chuckled.

"A tremendous sound like that!" George finished.

**Harry shook himself mentally; he was being stupid.**

"Nothing new there," Draco smirked and Harry rolled his eyes.

**There was no one in the house with him except Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley, and they were plainly still asleep, their dreams untroubled and painless.**

**Asleep was the way Harry liked the Dursleys best; it wasn't as though they were ever any help to him awake. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were Harry's only living relatives. They were Muggles who hated and despised magic in any form, which meant that Harry was about as welcome in their house as dry rot.**

Everyone looked at Harry sadly at these words as Harry himself bowed his head and looked at the floor determinedly. He really wished this wasn't in the book; he didn't really want them to know how bad it was for him at the Dursleys …. he didn't need their pity.

Teddy grimaced at this; he had heard only a few things about his godfather's life at the Dursleys, enough to know that he wished that Harry was raised by better people.

**They had explained away Harry's long absences at Hogwarts over the last three years by telling everyone that he went to St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys.**

"I never understood why they made a school for incurable criminals …. it seems sort of pointless to me," Duncan said.

"Is that really a school?" Harry questioned, he had always wondered if it was or if his Aunt and Uncle had just made it up.

"Oh yes it is," Duncan said. "One of my patients reckons it's the best place for juvenile delinquents to go …. won't hear a word against the place …. Saying that at least he doesn't have to put up with them trying to steal things from his shop during the school year, but I still think it would be better to try to teach them values and whatnot instead of just throwing them together for half the year. I mean how …"

"Duncan," Juliet said softly, for he seemed to be really getting worked up about this subject.

"Sorry, I supposed that's not really the point," he blushed and motioned Remus to continue reading.

**They knew perfectly well that, as an underage wizard, Harry wasn't allowed to use magic outside Hogwarts, but they were still apt to blame him for anything that went wrong about the house. Harry had never been able to confide in them or tell them anything about his life in the wizarding world. The very idea of going to them when they awoke, and telling them about his scar hurting him, and about his worries about Voldemort, was laughable.**

Molly sighed at that, it was horrible for her to think that Harry didn't have anyone to go to …. that he had to deal with this all on his own. The poor boy.

Sirius sighed too, wishing he could have been there for Harry then …. No, in truth he was wishing that Harry had his parents and he could go to them, but that thought only caused him more pain.

**And yet it was because of Voldemort that Harry had come to live with the Dursleys in the first place. If it hadn't been for Voldemort, Harry would not have had the lightning scar on his forehead. If it hadn't been for Voldemort, Harry would still have had parents …**

Harry bit his lip at that, he was still looking at the floor but he could feel everyone's pitying gaze on him. He didn't really appreciate that his greatest desire was laid out in this book for everyone to see. He also feared what was going to come next, how he will have to hear about their death again …. practically see it as he again remembered what the Dementors forced him to relieve when they were near him.

**Harry had been a year old the night that Voldemort — the most powerful Dark wizard for a century, a wizard who had been gaining power steadily for eleven years — arrived at his house and killed his father and mother.**

Remus voice shook as he read this part, and more than a few people started to tear up, but he forced himself to keep reading.

**Voldemort had then turned his wand on Harry; he had performed the curse that had disposed of many full-grown witches and wizards in his steady rise to power — and, incredibly, it had not worked. Instead of killing the small boy, the curse had rebounded upon Voldemort. Harry had survived with nothing but a lightning-shaped cut on his forehead, and Voldemort had been reduced to something barely alive. His powers gone, his life almost extinguished, Voldemort had fled; the terror in which the secret community of witches and wizards had lived for so long had lifted, Voldemort's followers had disbanded, and Harry Potter had become famous.**

"A very dark day for our community that was," Draco said and everyone turned to glare at him.

**It had been enough of a shock for Harry to discover, on his eleventh birthday, that he was a wizard; it had been even more disconcerting to find out that everyone in the hidden wizarding world knew his name. Harry had arrived at Hogwarts to find that heads turned and whispers followed him wherever he went. But he was used to it now: At the end of this summer, he would be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts, and Harry was already counting the days until he would be back at the castle again.**

"Been counting that down since the moment I left the castle," Harry mumbled so lowly only Hermione and Ron could hear him, both of which let out a sad sigh.

**But there was still a fortnight to go before he went back to school. He looked hopelessly around his room again, and his eye paused on the birthday cards his two best friends had sent him at the end of July. What would they say if Harry wrote to them and told them about his scar hurting?**

**At once, Hermione Granger's voice seemed to fill his head, shrill and panicky.**

"My voice isn't shrill!" Hermione said in a voice that wasn't really proving her point.

"It is a little shrill when you're panicky," Harry replied, hoping that was enough to make her stop glaring at him.

"Whatever," Hermione huffed.

"**Your scar hurt? Harry, that's really serious … Write to Professor Dumbledore! And I'll go and check Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions … Maybe there's something in there about curse scars …"**

"Yup, that's just how she reacted," Fred said and everyone laughed as Hermione blushed.

**Yes, that would be Hermione's advice: Go straight to the headmaster of Hogwarts, and in the meantime, consult a book. Harry stared out of the window at the inky blue-black sky. He doubted very much whether a book could help him now. As far as he knew, he was the only living person to have survived a curse like Voldemort's; it was highly unlikely, therefore, that he would find his symptoms listed in Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions.**

"Well that's not the only book I could have looked in," Hermione grumbled.

"I still don't think you would have find anything in any book," Harry chuckled.

"Well that's where you're wrong Harry, I'm going to find out about it in this book," Hermione said smugly, and Harry rolled his eyes but didn't say anything to that.

**As for informing the headmaster, Harry had no idea where Dumbledore went during the summer holidays. He amused himself for a moment, picturing Dumbledore, with his long silver beard, full length wizard's robes, and pointed hat, stretched out on a beach somewhere, rubbing suntan lotion onto his long crooked nose.**

Everyone was laughing at the image that Harry had brought up there.

"Ah, that does sound like a nice vacation," Fred said smirking, causing Harry to blush slightly.

**Wherever Dumbledore was, though, Harry was sure that Hedwig would be able to find him; Harry's owl had never yet failed to deliver a letter to anyone, even without an address.**

"And without knowing where people are supposed to be, I still wonder how she knew that I was in France last year," Hermione said.

"Well …. I did tell her you were there," Harry shrugged.

"You told your owl that Hermione was in France," Ron said chuckling.

"Well, who else was I supposed to talk to," Harry shrugged, which wiped the amusement off his friend's face.

"Still, it would have been nice for all of us if we had some warning that she was going to come to us," Juliet remarked, "It gave Duncan ever such a fright when he saw her in our hotel room."

"Well, how was I supposed to know that she was Harry's owl?" Duncan said, blushing as Juliet and Hermione laughed.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think she appreciated it when you came at her waving your arms around like a lunatic," Juliet replied and Duncan made a face as everyone else laughed.

**But what would he write?**

_**Dear Professor Dumbledore,**_

_**Sorry to bother you, but my scar hurt this morning.**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

_**Harry Potter.**_

**Even inside his head the words sounded stupid.**

"Stupid as it might sound, I'm sure Dumbledore would have liked to hear that," Bill said. "And it wouldn't have been so bad if you gave him more details, too."

"I'll try to remember that," Harry said gravely.

**And so he tried to imagine his other best friend, Ron Weasley's, reaction, and in a moment, Ron's red hair and long-nosed, freckled face seemed to swim before Harry,**

"I feel so sorry for you Harry –" Fred said.

"For having to see that –" George added.

"Right after such a terrible nightmare too," the finished together, laughing.

"Shut up!" Ron glared at them.

**wearing a bemused expression.**

"**Your scar hurt? But … but You-Know-Who can't be near you now, can he? I mean … you'd know, wouldn't you? He'd be trying to do you in again, wouldn't be? I dunno, Harry, maybe curse scars always twinge a bit … I'll ask Dad …"**

"Unfortunately, I don't think I could be of any help to you about this," Arthur sighed.

"But it's amazing that you seemed to have gotten your friends' reactions down perfectly," Sirius chuckled. "You three are really close."

"Sirius," Molly said suddenly, looking at him sadly.

"Er …. Yeah?" Sirius asked in trepidation, he wasn't going to forget the look of pure loathing she gave him any time soon, even if he knew that she regretted that now.

"I was just wondering …. won't you like to put on some nicer clothes?" Molly said, realizing that he was still in a prisoner's outfit …. one that he must have been wearing for at least a year now.

"Oh …. er …. well yeah, I guess I would," Sirius responded feeling uncomfortable, not liking this kind of attention on him …. he was never one for pity.

"Here," Tonks said, who had conjured a set of clothes for him as soon as Molly asked the questioned and Sirius took them from her and quickly left the room to get changed. He meant to make it quick, but as soon as he got into the new room he realized that there was a shower there. He also realized that the house they were in was obviously magical and would give them what they needed, and he really needed a shower. He made it quick of course, but that didn't mean it didn't feel nice to wash away the grime that he had gathered over the years.

When he came back in the room no one mentioned anything about how long he had taken which he was grateful for and then Remus started reading again.

**Mr. Weasley was a fully qualified wizard who worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, but he didn't have any particular expertise in the matter of curses, as far as Harry knew.**

"I won't go that far …. I just don't know the kind of curse that will help you out," Arthur said.

**In any case, Harry didn't like the idea of the whole Weasley family knowing that he, Harry, was getting jumpy about a few moments' pain. Mrs. Weasley would fuss worse than Hermione,**

Molly frowned at this, knowing it was true but still wishing that he would feel comfortable coming to her if he was this worried about something.

**and Fred and George, Ron's sixteen- year-old twin brothers, might think Harry was losing his nerve.**

"We so would not Harry," the twins said together.

"Not for something like this," Fred said seriously for once.

**The Weasleys were Harry's favorite family in the world;**

"Well thanks Harry," several of the Weasleys said.

Ginny was too preoccupied about the fact that she wasn't mentioned at all to make a comment herself.

Teddy was smiling at this statement, for he felt very similarly to Harry about this; the Weasley had completely adopted him into their family before he was even a month old.

**he was hoping that they might invite him to stay any time now (Ron had mentioned something about the Quidditch World Cup),**

"Oh that reminds me, Arthur, we have to send that letter to the Dursleys when we get back," Molly said.

"Letter?" Harry asked. "Why are you writing to the Dursleys?"

"To ask if you could stay with us," Molly explained.

"I don't see why she's bothers, but Mum figures it's the polite thing to do," Ron explained further.

"Er …. well, I'm sure that will be interesting," Harry said before Molly could say anything about what Ron had said.

"Oh the whole scene will be interesting," Teddy commented sniggering, having heard about this once.

**and he somehow didn't want his visit punctuated with anxious inquiries about his scar.**

**Harry kneaded his forehead with his knuckles. What he really wanted (and it felt almost shameful to admit it to himself) was someone like – someone like a parent:**

"You shouldn't feel shameful to admit that," Juliet said softly, and he looked at her sadly, his emerald eyes portraying his sorrow and longing to have that …. a parent that he could talk to. She was really starting to see why her daughter was so protective of this boy. "Everyone needs a parent once in a while."

"Why didn't you write to me, Harry?" Sirius questioned.

Harry turned to him, his eyes a little wide in shock …. that's right, he could write to Sirius. Sirius, who was his parents' best friend, who – despite the fact that he just met a little more than a month ago – almost felt like a parent to him.

"I suppose I didn't think about that," Harry said, but he was almost smiling, for he was sure he will.

**an adult wizard whose advice he could ask without feeling stupid, someone who cared about him, who had had experience with Dark Magic …**

**And then the solution came to him. It was so simple, and so obvious, that he couldn't believe it had taken so long – Sirius.**

"There you go Harry," Sirius was smiling now, too. "And don't worry about not think about it sooner …. it's not like you knew who I was a little while ago."

**Harry leapt up from the bed, hurried across the room, and sat down at his desk; he pulled a piece of parchment toward him, loaded his eagle-feather quill with ink, wrote Dear Sirius, then paused, wondering how best to phrase his problem, still marveling at the fact that he hadn't thought of Sirius straight away. But then, perhaps it wasn't so surprising – after all, he had only found out that Sirius was his godfather two months ago.**

"That's not true Harry, you knew Sirius was your godfather since before Christmas," Hermione interjected.

"Well, considering that I thought he had betrayed my parents and was trying to kill me, forgive me if I didn't think of him as my godfather until after what happened in the Shrieking Shack," Harry said.

"Sorry," Hermione blushed.

"What do you mean you learned about this before Christmas?" Tonks asked looking at the trio sharply, it sounded like an odd thing for him to find out then and she thought there probably was a good story behind that.

"Er …." Harry said.

"And what happened in the Shrieking Shack?" Molly asked.

"Er …." Harry repeated, and Remus decided to start reading.

**There was a simple reason for Sirius's complete absence from Harry's life until then - Sirius had been in Azkaban, the terrifying wizard jail guarded by creatures called dementors, sightless, soul-sucking fiends who had come to search for Sirius at Hogwarts when he had escaped. Yet Sirius had been innocent – the murders for which he had been convicted had been committed by Wormtail, Voldemort's supporter, whom nearly everybody now believed dead. Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew otherwise, however; they had come face-to-face with Wormtail only the previous year, though only Professor Dumbledore had believed their story.**

"Hmph …. I believed your story, too!" Remus huffed playfully. "I wouldn't have minded if you had wrote to me either, Harry."

"He probably would have been able to help you more than I could of too," Sirius admitted truthful. "But of course I'm cooler than you are Moony, so Harry would want to write to me."

Remus shook his head at his friend and then turned to pout at Harry, "I would think that after all the help and advice I gave you last year I would have at least been mentioned …. but at least you have this git to turn to for advice …."

"Sorry Pr …. er …. Remus," Harry laughed, but still feeling a little uncomfortable calling him that.

"But why would Harry want to write one of his Professors," Tonks teased. "Who would ever want to write to one of their old Professors?"

Everyone laughed at this but Teddy's laugh was the loudest as he watched his dad blush at his mum's teasing.

**For one glorious hour, Harry had believed that he was leaving the Dursleys at last, because Sirius had offered him a home once his name had been cleared. But the chance had been snatched away from him - Wormtail had escaped before they could take him to the Ministry of Magic, and Sirius had had to flee for his life. Harry had helped him escape on the back of a hippogriff called Buckbeak,**

"What?!" Draco exclaimed. "You mean you did save that mad hippogriff?!"

"That's right!" Harry smirked at him. "And there's nothing you can do about that!"

**and since then, Sirius had been on the run. The home Harry might have had if Wormtail had not escaped had been haunting him all summer.**

Harry sighed at that and Sirius looked at him seriously, wondering how truly awful Harry's life must be if he was talking like this. He also wished there was something he could do, some way he could help.

Harry was just thinking about the dream he had this morning, and wished that it could have been true.

**It had been doubly hard to return to the Dursleys knowing that he had so nearly escaped them forever.**

"They must be truly awful if you actually looked forward to living with Sirius," Tonks said, in a teasing and yet sad tone.

**Nevertheless, Sirius had been of some help to Harry, even if he couldn't be with him.**

"Well that's nice to know," Sirius grumbled, now trying to think of ways that he could be more useful.

**It was due to Sirius that Harry now had all his school things in his bedroom with him. The Dursleys had never allowed this before; their general wish of keeping Harry as miserable as possible, coupled with their fear of his powers, had led them to lock his school trunk in the cupboard under the stairs every summer prior to this.**

_Well, at least that was better than when they actually locked me in the cupboard,_ Harry thought dryly to himself.

**But their attitude had changed since they had found out that Harry had a dangerous murderer for a godfather – for Harry had conveniently forgotten to tell them that Sirius was innocent.**

"Brilliant Harry!" the twins and Remus said.

**Harry had received two letters from Sirius since he had been back at Privet Drive. Both had been delivered, not by owls (as was usual with wizards), but by large, brightly colored tropical birds.**

"Tropical birds …. really Sirius," Remus shook his head, but he was smiling.

"What? They were the only things I could get my hands on," Sirius shrugged. "And I wanted to stay in contact with Harry."

Molly smiled at Sirius for that comment …. she was actually quite pleased that Sirius was contacting Harry, happy that the boy had someone he felt comfortable to turn to, though she still wished it could have been her.

**Hedwig had not approved of these flashy intruders; she had been most reluctant to allow them to drink from her water tray before flying off again.**

"Your owl really has quite the personality," Duncan said. "She won't stop glaring at me reproachfully."

"I suggest you give her some owl treats the next time you see her …. I'm sure she'll forgive you then," Harry chuckled.

**Harry, on the other hand, had liked them; they put him in mind of palm trees and white sand, and he hoped that, wherever Sirius was (Sirius never said, in case the letters were intercepted), he was enjoying himself.**

"Er …. well sort of," Sirius said when Harry looked at him hopefully. "It's definitely nice to be free and out in the open …. but most of the time I'm worried about you …."

**Somehow, Harry found it hard to imaging dementors surviving for long in bright sunlight,**

"You have a point, however, they usually bring mist and gloomy weather wherever they go," Bill said.

**perhaps that was why Sirius had gone South. Sirius's letters, which were now hidden beneath the highly useful loose floorboards under Harry's bed, sounded cheerful, and in both of them he had reminded Harry to call on him if ever Harry needed to. Well, he needed to right now, all right…**

**Harry's lamp seemed to grow dimmer as the cold gray light that precedes sunrise slowly crept into the room. Finally, when the sun had risen, when his bedroom walls had turned gold, and when sounds of movement could be heard from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's room, Harry cleared his desk of crumpled pieces of parchment and reread his finished letter.**

_**Dear Sirius,**_

_**Thanks for your last letter. That bird was enormous; it could hardly get through my window.**_

"I wonder what the Dursley would have said if they knew about that …. or if your neighbors saw that," Ron mumbled.

"They probably would have had a fit," Harry chuckled.

_**Things are the same as usual here. Dudley**_**'**_**s diet isn**_**'**_**t going too well. My aunt found him smuggling doughnuts into his room yesterday. They told him they**_**'**_**d have to cut his pocket money if he keeps doing it, so he got really angry and chucked his PlayStation out of the window.**_

"PlayStation …. Muggles have a station where they play on?" Ron said. "Weird."

"No Ron …. it's a game system that they hook up to the TV so they could play a game on it," Hermione tried to explain but she could see that Ron was still confused. "Never mind, it doesn't really matter."

_**That**_**'**_**s a sort of computer thing you can play games on. Bit stupid really, now he hasn**_**'**_**t even got Mega-Mutilation Part Three to take his mind off things.**_

_**I**_**'**_**m okay, mainly because the Dursleys are terrified you might turn up and turn them all into bats if I ask you to.**_

"I won't mind if you asked me to," Sirius chuckled.

"Sirius! You can't go around cursing Muggles!" Molly reprimanded.

"I wouldn't curse just any Muggles …. but I have a feeling that they just might deserve it." Sirius said darkly and Molly couldn't really argue with his reasoning, but she still thought it was wrong.

_**A weird thing happened this morning, though. My scar hurt again. Last time that happened it was because Voldemort was at Hogwarts. But I don**_**'**_**t reckon he can be anywhere near me now, can he? Do you know if curse scars sometimes hurt years afterward?**_

_**I**_**'**_**ll send this with Hedwig when she gets back; she**_**'**_**s off hunting at the moment. Say hello to Buckbeak for me.**_

_**Harry**_

**Yes, thought Harry, that looked all right. There was no point putting in the dream; he didn't want it to look as though he was too worried.**

"Ah, but Harry, I think it's important to tell me about the dream," Sirius said, knowing how worried he was going to be reading this letter. "I might overreact about this now."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked suddenly looking worried.

"I don't know, but I'm sure to be worried about you," Sirius sighed. "Especially after you said that the last time it hurt was because Voldemort was close to you …."

"Argh," Harry groaned.

"Don't worry Harry, I'm sure everything will be okay," Remus said in a reassuring voice before he started reading again.

**He folded up the parchment and laid it aside on his desk, ready for when Hedwig returned. Then he got to his feet, stretched, and opened his wardrobe once more. Without glancing at his reflection he started to get dressed before going down to breakfast.**

"That was the end of the chapter," Remus stated. "Who would like to read?"

"I will," Hermione replied and thus Remus handed her the book.


	4. The Invitation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Four

The Invitation

"**The Invitation," **Hermione read.

**By the time Harry arrived in the kitchen, the three Dursleys were already seated around the table.**

"Tough luck mate, I feel so sorry for you," Fred chuckled.

**None of them looked up as he entered or sat down. Uncle Vernon's large red face was hidden behind the morning's Daily Mail, and Aunt Petunia was cutting a grapefruit into quarters, her lips pursed over her horselike teeth.**

"Well isn't that attractive," George said making a face.

_It's really not,_ Harry thought, he too was making a face.

**Dudley looked furious and sulky, and somehow seemed to be taking up even more space than usual. This was saying something, as he always took up an entire side of the square table by himself.**

"Are you exaggerating Harry?" Juliet asked looking disgusted.

"Not really," Harry answered.

"That's just not right, and the boy is only fifteen!" Juliet said shaking her head.

**When Aunt Petunia put a quarter of unsweetened grapefruit onto Dudley's plate with a tremulous "There you are, Diddy darling," Dudley glowered at her.**

"Is that all she's going to give him?" Ron inquired incredulously.

"That's all she's going to give all of us," Harry corrected.

Neville looked at Harry with a frown, he never would have thought that Harry would have to survive off a single slice of grapefruit – no wonder he was so skinny.

"Merlin, Harry, you really weren't joking about your food situation!" Ron said and Harry raised an eyebrow at him as if to say of course he wasn't. Ron didn't notice this as he thought of how he would have survived if he only got a quarter of a grapefruit to eat. He wouldn't have lasted long.

"I don't understand how anyone could believe that was a nutritious breakfast," Juliet shook her head, this was practically starvation and wasn't healthy. When Hermione had told them that her friend wasn't getting a lot of food and asked if she could send him some snacks, she didn't believe it was this bad. She was now wishing that they had sent him more.

**His life had taken a most unpleasant turn since he had come home for the summer with his end-of-year report.**

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had managed to find excuses for his bad marks as usual: Aunt Petunia always insisted that Dudley was a very gifted boy whose teachers didn't understand him,**

"Because he doesn't know how to talk more than a toddler throwing tantrums and they don't speak whining," George supplied.

**while Uncle Vernon maintained that "he didn't want some swotty little nancy boy for a son anyway."**

"Here's an honest questioned, what do they want from a son?" Hermione asked Harry. "From what you told us, he's nothing more than a sloth that eats and whines; does he have any ambitions at all? Do his parents expect anything out of him?"

"Not that I know of," Harry answered for both of her questioned; she just frowned at the answer.

**They also skated over the accusations of bullying in the report - "He's a boisterous little boy,**

"Little boy … he take up a quarter of table … I wouldn't call that little," Fred chuckled.

**but he wouldn't hurt a fly!" Aunt Petunia had said tearfully.**

"I supposed that means I rank lower than a fly to them," Harry mumbled so lowly that only Ron and Hermione heard him, but they both looked angry and he was sorry that he said it at all.

**However, at the bottom of the report there were a few well-chosen comments from the school nurse that not even Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia could explain away. No matter how much Aunt Petunia wailed that Dudley was big-boned, and that his poundage was really puppy fat, and that he was a growing boy who needed plenty of food, the fact remained that the school outfitters didn't stock knickerbockers big enough for him anymore. The school nurse had seen what Aunt Petunia's eyes - so sharp when it came to spotting fingerprints on her gleaming walls, and in observing the comings and goings of the neighbors - simply refused to see: that far from needing extra nourishment, Dudley had reached roughly the size and weight of a young killer whale.**

"Nice one Harry!" The twins chuckled.

"This is really not funny," Juliet frowned. "That boy has a serious and unhealthy problem that's probably going to follow him for the rest of his life."

**So - after many tantrums, after arguments that shook Harry's bedroom floor, and many tears from Aunt Petunia - the new regime had begun.**

"I still can't believe that she actually said no to him," Harry muttered though this time everyone heard him. The mothers in the room shook their heads looking appalled. How was a child supposed to learn anything if you never said no to them before?

**The diet sheet that had been sent by the Smeltings school nurse had been taped to the fridge, which had been emptied of all Dudley's favorite things - fizzy drinks and cakes, chocolate bars and burgers and filled instead with fruit and vegetables and the sorts of things that Uncle Vernon called "rabbit food." To make Dudley feel better about it all, Aunt Petunia had insisted that the whole family follow the diet too.**

"Which on the whole would be a good thing, but I don't think Harry needs that," Molly sadly said, looking at Harry fondly. "He's much too skinny as it is."

**She now passed a grapefruit quarter to Harry. He noticed that it was a lot smaller than Dudley's. Aunt Petunia seemed to feel that the best way to keep up Dudley's morale was to make sure that he did, at least, get more to eat than Harry.**

Molly glowered at the book, but pursed her lips to keep herself from saying anything. She did not like saying anything bad about Harry's relatives in front of him.

**But Aunt Petunia didn't know what was hidden under the loose floorboard upstairs. She had no idea that Harry was not following the diet at all.**

"As if he needs to, I don't think I've met anyone skinnier than Harry," Fred chuckled.

Duncan, however, was looking over the boy with some concern – wondering if he suffered from lack of food before this year or if this was just because of the diet.

**The moment he had got wind of the fact that he was expected to survive the summer on carrot sticks, Harry had sent Hedwig to his friends with pleas for help, and they had risen to the occasion magnificently. Hedwig had returned from Hermione's house with a large box stuffed full of sugar-free snacks. (Hermione's parents were dentists.)**

"I really wished we had sent you more now," Juliet sighed. "And sorry about them being sugar free …"

"It was quite enough and I actually kind of liked the snacks, so thank you Mrs. Granger," Harry politely responded.

**Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had obliged with a sack full of his own homemade rock cakes. (Harry hadn't touched these; he had had too much experience of Hagrid's cooking.)**

Everyone that had known of Hagrid's cooking nodded their head at this, agreeing completely with Harry.

**Mrs. Weasley, however, had sent the family owl, Errol, with an enormous fruitcake and assorted meat pies.**

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," Harry directed to Molly.

"It was my pleasure, Harry, dear," Molly smiled at the boy, but her eyes were sad, wishing she could have just had Harry stay with them at the Burrow. She didn't like the sounds of these Dursleys at all.

**Poor Errol, who was elderly and feeble, had needed a full five days to recover from the journey. And then on Harry's birthday (which the Dursleys had completely ignored)**

"That's horrible! They're your family!" Duncan said, appalled.

"It's nothing new," Harry shrugged, "it honestly doesn't matter."

"It does matter, Harry," Hermione murmured softly.

"Well, at least my new family remembers my birthday," Harry said, in hopes to distract everyone – he was starting to get uncomfortable about all the sympathetic looks he was getting.

"And we always will," Hermione stated, letting herself be distracted as Harry obviously wanted her to be … beside, she liked the thought of being part of Harry's family.

**he had received four superb birthday cakes, one each from Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and Sirius.**

"Did you eat Hagrid's birthday cakes?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, he's actually very good at making birthday cakes," Harry said. "He was the first person to give me a birthday cake … it was delicious."

**Harry still had two of them left, and so, looking forward to a real breakfast when he got back upstairs, he ate his grapefruit without complaint.**

"Er … I don't know if cake is a real breakfast …" Juliet started to say, but shook her head; it was better that than starving. "Just remember to brush your teeth afterward."

"I'll try to remember," Harry chuckled as Hermione sighed at her mum's comment.

**Uncle Vernon laid aside his paper with a deep sniff of disapproval and looked down at his own grapefruit quarter.**

"**Is this it?" he said grumpily to Aunt Petunia.**

**Aunt Petunia gave him a severe look, and then nodded pointedly at Dudley, who had already finished his own grapefruit quarter and was eyeing Harry's with a very sour look in his piggy little eyes.**

"Oh Harry, you should eat your grapefruit really slowly," George advised.

**Uncle Vernon gave a great sigh, which ruffled his large, bushy mustache, and picked up his spoon.**

**The doorbell rang. Uncle Vernon heaved himself out of his chair and set off down the hall. Quick as a flash, while his mother was occupied with the kettle, Dudley stole the rest of Uncle Vernon's grapefruit.**

**Harry heard talking at the door, and someone laughing, and Uncle Vernon answering curtly. Then the front door closed, and the sound of ripping paper came from the hall.**

**Aunt Petunia set the teapot down on the table and looked curiously around to see where Uncle Vernon had got to. She didn't have to wait long to find out; after about a minute, he was back. He looked livid.**

"**You," he barked at Harry. "In the living room. Now."**

"What did you do, Harry?" Ron questioned.

"I don't know," Harry said, but that wasn't necessarily true – though he was sure he didn't actually do anything – he had a feeling what was coming because of the chapter title and what Molly had said in the last chapter.

**Bewildered, wondering what on earth he was supposed to have done this time, Harry got up and followed Uncle Vernon out of the kitchen and into the next room. Uncle Vernon closed the door sharply behind both of them.**

"**So," he said, marching over to the fireplace and turning to face Harry as though he were about to pronounce him under arrest. "So."**

"Wow, he's really angry about this," Harry said a little nervous now – it was never a good thing for his Uncle to be this worked up. Well, that's wasn't entirely true, it could be funny as long as he got away with it.

**Harry would have dearly loved to have said, "So what?" but he didn't feel that Uncle Vernon's temper should be tested this early in the morning, especially when it was already under severe strain from lack of food.**

"Oh Harry, that's the best time to test his temper," Fred sighed, shaking his head.

"Perhaps you wouldn't say that if you lived with him," Harry shrugged.

**He therefore settled for looking politely puzzled.**

"I'm sure that expression isn't helping you any, Harry," Hermione said. "It probably will make him think that you are up to something."

Harry frowned at that.

"**This just arrived," said Uncle Vernon. He brandished a piece of purple writing paper at Harry. "A letter. About you."**

"Oh … that's the letter we sent you," Molly realized with sadness; she didn't realize that she would be getting Harry into trouble for sending him a letter.

"Don't worry about it Mrs. Weasley, I'm sure I'll like hearing from you," Harry tried to reassure her.

**Harry's confusion increased. Who would be writing to Uncle Vernon about him? Who did he know who sent letters by the postman?**

"I might," Hermione said.

"Why? Owls are so much quicker," Harry asked, puzzled.

"Well, I don't have an owl, now do I?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

**Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, then looked down at the letter and began to read aloud:**

_**Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,**_

_**We have never been introduced, but I am sure you have heard a great deal from Harry about my son Ron.**_

"As if." Harry muttered. "Though they might have remembered a certain phone call he made to me!"

At this Harry, Hermione and Teddy all laughed as Ron's ears turned red.

"You know about that?" Harry queried the turquoise haired boy.

"Yeah, you liked to tease him about this whenever he's near a phone," Teddy chuckled.

_**As Harry might have told you, the final of the Quidditch World Cup takes place this Monday night, and my husband, Arthur, has just managed to get prime tickets through his connections at the Department of Magical Games and Sports.**_

"How prime are prime tickets?" Draco questioned, ready to announce that his were better.

"The box office," Arthur answered.

That took the smirk off Draco's face as he stared at him incredulously, "How did you managed to get box office tickets?"

"Through his connections in the Department of Magical Games and Sports!" Fred said. "It's like you don't listen at all, Malfoy."

_**I do hope you will allow us to take Harry to the match, as this really is a once-in-a lifetime **__**opportunity; Britain hasn**_**'**_**t hosted the cup for thirty years,**_

"Ah, but that was a brilliant game," Sirius dreamily stated. "I really wish I could go to this match, too."

"Sorry Sirius, but I doubt turning up at the World Cup would be very feasible for you – seeing as practically the entire Ministry is going to be there!" Remus said.

"But I could go as a dog," Sirius said, liking the idea of getting pass all the Ministry officials.

"Sirius, please don't even joke about that," Harry looked at his godfather sadly, "I don't want to think of what would happen to you if you were caught."

"Fine," Sirius sighed, "I wasn't really thinking about it anyway … I just thought it would be nice."

_**and tickets are extremely hard to come by. We would of course be glad to have Harry stay for the remainder of the summer holidays, and to see him safely onto the train back to school.**_

Harry smiled at that, watching professional Quidditch and getting away from the Dursleys early; he couldn't think of anything better than that.

_**It would be best for Harry to send us your answer as quickly as possible in the normal way, because the Muggle postman has never delivered to our house, and I am not sure he even knows where it is.**_

Harry and Teddy chuckled at the idea of a postman trying to figure out what to do about delivering a letter to the Burrow.

_**Hoping to see Harry soon,**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

_**Molly Weasley**_

_**P.S. I do hope we**_**'**_**ve put enough stamps on.**_

If anyone was looking at Remus and Teddy at that moment the resemblance between the two would have been unmistakable, for their lips both twitched with a knowing smile (though only Teddy actually knew what was going to happen, Remus had guessed).

**Uncle Vernon finished reading, put his hand back into his breast pocket, and drew out something else.**

"**Look at this," he growled.**

**He held up the envelope in which Mrs. Weasley's letter had come, and Harry had to fight down a laugh. Every bit of it was covered in stamps except for a square inch on the front, into which Mrs. Weasley had squeezed the Dursleys' address in minute writing.**

Harry, Hermione, Remus, Sirius, Teddy and Tonks all laughed (and the Grangers smiled amusingly) at this as Molly blushed.

"Did I do something wrong?" she questioned.

"Er …" Harry tried to control his laughter. "You only need one stamp."

"It's almost like you got things reversed," Sirius chuckled.

"I'm sorry," Molly sighed.

"Don't worry about it – I think it's brilliant! I don't have much to laugh about when I'm at the Dursleys," Harry started chuckling again. This did not appease Molly; she only looked at Harry with a further saddening expression.

"**She did put enough stamps on, then," said Harry, trying to sound as though Mrs. Weasley's was a mistake anyone could make.**

"Well any wizard could make for sure," Sirius chuckled.

**His uncle's eyes flashed.**

"**The postman noticed," he said through gritted teeth. "Very interested to know where this letter came from, he was. That's why he rang the doorbell. Seemed to think it was funny."**

"Because it is," Sirius said, but Harry sighed.

**Harry didn't say anything. Other people might not understand why Uncle Vernon was making a fuss about too many stamps, but Harry had lived with the Dursleys too long not to know how touchy they were about anything even slightly out of the ordinary. Their worst fear was that someone would find out that they were connected (however distantly) with people like Mrs. Weasley.**

"Yeah, well, we don't like being connected to you either," Ginny huffed.

"So you're saying that you don't like having me around," Harry pouted, looking thoroughly miserable.

"What …. no …. I didn't mean …." Ginny stumbled over her words.

"Harry, don't be so mean!" Hermione chided as she slapped the back of his head.

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing the spot she had hit. "Sorry, Ginny …. I knew what you were trying to say."

"Oh …." was all Ginny could say, her face bright red.

Teddy was having trouble not laughing loudly from the whole scene.

**Uncle Vernon was still glaring at Harry, who tried to keep his expression neutral. If he didn't do or say anything stupid, he might just be in for the treat of a lifetime.**

"Ah, say something stupid, Harry, we're going to come and get you with or without permission," George grinned.

**He waited for Uncle Vernon to say something, but he merely continued to glare.**

**Harry decided to break the silence.**

"**So - can I go then?" he asked.**

**A slight spasm crossed Uncle Vernon's large purple face. The mustache bristled. Harry thought he knew what was going on behind the mustache:**

"That's a scary thought …. you actually know what that fat walrus is thinking!" Fred said shivering.

"Not often, but it's rather easy at the moment," Harry just chuckled at Fred's comment.

**a furious battle as two of Uncle Vernon's most fundamental instincts came into conflict. Allowing Harry to go would make Harry happy, something Uncle Vernon had struggled against for thirteen years. On the other hand, allowing Harry to disappear to the Weasleys' for the rest of the summer would get rid of him two weeks earlier than anyone could have hoped, and Uncle Vernon hated having Harry in the house.**

"This man is just awful," Molly said, shaking her head.

"Honestly, you would think that if he hated you so much he would have been glad to let you go," Tonks frowned. "But he seems to like to torture you so much so he even makes himself and his family unhappy …. I don't think I'll ever understand this git."

**To give himself thinking time, it seemed, he looked down at Mrs. Weasley's letter again.**

"**Who is this woman?" he said, staring at the signature with distaste.**

"**You've seen her," said Harry. "She's my friend Ron's mother, she was meeting him off the Hog -**

"Off the Hog …. what does that even mean?" Sirius questioned. "Ron, were you riding a hog or something? Oh …." Sirius's face lit up with a grin as he continued to say, "you know some motorcycles are called hogs – were you riding a motorcycle Ron?! I love motorcycles …."

"Sirius," Remus interrupted him as everyone in the room was looking at him oddly, obviously Azkaban has driven this poor man insane. "He was going to say Hogwarts Express."

"Oh …. er …. that make sense," Sirius blustered, blushing slightly. "I knew that!"

"Sure you did, Padfoot," Remus remarked. "I think you should have some food before we start reading the next chapter …. you always act oddly when you don't have enough to eat."

Sirius rolled his eyes at the comment but he couldn't deny that he was hungry; he hadn't had a good meal in over a decade.

**off the school train at the end of last term."**

**He had almost said "Hogwarts Express," and that was a sure way to get his uncle's temper up. Nobody ever mentioned the name of Harry's school aloud in the Dursley household.**

"Why? It's not like your muggle neighbors would know what you were talking about even if they did hear that," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're trying to find logic in his madness and there isn't any to it," Harry chuckled.

**Uncle Vernon screwed up his enormous face as though trying to remember something very unpleasant.**

"**Dumpy sort of woman?"**

All the Weasleys' protests mixed together so it wasn't clear what they said, but one thing was certain – they were all upset about this.

"Hermione, would you please continue reading?" Molly said rolling her eyes at her children's defense of her, but was secretly pleased by it at all same.

**he growled finally. "Load of children with red hair?"**

**Harry frowned. He thought it was a bit rich of Uncle Vernon to call anyone "dumpy," when his own son, Dudley, had finally achieved what he'd been threatening to do since the age of three, and become wider than he was tall.**

"Good one Harry, we'll make a Weasley of you yet!" George smiled at him.

"Does that mean you're going to marry him off to Ginny?" Sirius asked innocently, causing both Harry and Ginny to turn bright red and everyone else to laugh (Teddy was just happy he didn't have to hide his mirth this time).

"Shut up Sirius!" Harry eventually responded.

**Uncle Vernon was perusing the letter again.**

"**Quidditch," he muttered under his breath. "Quidditch - what is this rubbish?"**

"It's not rubbish," Ron said hotly. "It's brilliant."

**Harry felt a second stab of annoyance.**

"**It's a sport," he said shortly. "Played on broom- "**

"**All right, all right!" said Uncle Vernon loudly. Harry saw, with some satisfaction, that his uncle looked vaguely panicky. Apparently his nerves couldn't stand the sound of the word "broomsticks" in his living room.**

"You should just go around the house yelling broomstick all the time, mate," Fred chuckled.

**He took refuge in perusing the letter again. Harry saw his lips form the words "send us your answer… in the normal way." He scowled.**

"**What does she mean, 'the normal way'?" he spat.**

"**Normal for us," said Harry, and before his uncle could stop him, he added, "you know, owl post. That's what's normal for wizards."**

This caused the younger Weasleys all to snigger, knowing how Harry's Uncle will take that comment.

**Uncle Vernon looked as outraged as if Harry had just uttered a disgusting swearword. Shaking with anger, he shot a nervous look through the window, as though expecting to see some of the neighbors with their ears pressed against the glass.**

"Why would any of the neighbors want to do something like that?" Sirius asked. "These people have to be the most boring people on the planet!"

"**How many times do I have to tell you not to mention that unnaturalness under my roof?" he hissed, his face now a rich plum color. "You stand there, in the clothes Petunia and I have put on your ungrateful back -"**

"**Only after Dudley finished with them," said Harry coldly, and indeed, he was dressed in a sweatshirt so large for him that he had had to roll back the sleeves five times so as to be able to use his hands, and which fell past the knees of his extremely baggy jeans.**

"I think it would be good if you go shopping for some muggle clothing," Hermione remarked to him thoughtfully.

"I would like to, but I don't have any muggle money," Harry shrugged.

"You can just exchange some of your galleons at Gringotts," Hermione told him. "Or I could find out the exchange rate and Mum and Dad could give you pounds and you can give us galleons …. it wouldn't be that difficult."

"Okay," Harry said.

"**I will not be spoken to like that!" said Uncle Vernon, trembling with rage.**

**But Harry wasn't going to stand for this. Gone were the days when he had been forced to take every single one of the Dursleys' stupid rules.**

"Of course you wouldn't follow their rules …. When do you ever follow anyone's rules?" Draco asked; he was starting to get the feeling that Potter's home life wasn't as pleasant as he always imagine it was.

Harry just rolled his eyes at Draco's comment and motioned Hermione to read again.

**He wasn't following Dudley's diet, and he wasn't going to let Uncle Vernon stop him from going to the Quidditch World Cup, not if he could help it. Harry took a deep, steadying breath and then said, "Okay, I can't see the World Cup. Can I go now, then? Only I've got a letter to Sirius I want to finish. You know - my godfather."**

"I love how you use me as a threat," Sirius beamed.

"That was almost Slytherin like I would say," Draco commented, looking annoyed that he voiced this out loud.

"It is not!" the twins protested.

"It was a cunning plan," Remus said neutrally. "But honestly, I think it's ridiculous to say that a Gryffindor can't be cunning or a Slytherin can't be brave."

**He had done it, he had said the magic words. Now he watched the purple recede blotchily from Uncle Vernon's face, making it look like badly mixed black currant ice cream.**

"**You're - you're writing to him, are you?" said Uncle Vernon, in a would-be calm voice - but Harry had seen the pupils of his tiny eyes contract with sudden fear.**

"**Well - yeah," said Harry, casually. "It's been a while since he heard from me, and, you know, if he doesn't he might start thinking something's wrong."**

Sirius smiled at Harry again, though what Draco had said had tainted his enjoyment of this a little.

**He stopped there to enjoy the effect of these words. He could almost see the cogs working under Uncle Vernon's thick, dark, neatly parted hair. If he tried to stop Harry writing to Sirius, Sirius would think Harry was being mistreated. If he told Harry he couldn't go to the Quidditch World Cup, Harry would write and tell Sirius, who would know Harry was being mistreated. There was only one thing for Uncle Vernon to do. Harry could see the conclusion forming in his uncle's mind as though the great mustached face were transparent. Harry tried not to smile, to keep his own face as blank as possible. And then –**

"**Well, all right then. You can go to this ruddy… this stupid… this World Cup thing. You write and tell these - these Weasleys they're to pick you up, mind. I haven't got time to go dropping you off all over the country. And you can spend the rest of the summer there. And you can tell your - your godfather … tell him … tell him you're going."**

"Yeah Harry! You've got the git to agree!" George shouted.

"**Okay then," said Harry brightly.**

**He turned and walked toward the living room door, fighting the urge to jump into the air and whoop.**

"Harry my boy, you really have to just let yourself enjoy the moment," Fred commented. "It would do you some good to whoop!"

"It probably would, but if I did, I'm sure Uncle Vernon would have stopped me from going out of spite," Harry chuckled.

**He was going… he was going to the Weasleys', he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup! Outside in the hall he nearly ran into Dudley, who had been lurking behind the door, clearly hoping to overhear Harry being told off. He looked shocked to see the broad grin on Harry's face.**

Harry snickered at that knowing that he was usually glum after being yelled at by his uncle. Dudley would be terribly disappointed by the fact that he had got the better of his Uncle this time.

"**That was an excellent breakfast, wasn't it?" said Harry. "I feel really full, don't you?"**

"Brilliant, Harry!" Ron and the twin laughed.

"That was sort of mean, Harry," Hermione and Molly chided lightly, though not enough for Harry to actually feel guilty about this.

**Laughing at the astonished look on Dudley's face, Harry took the stairs three at a time, and hurled himself back into his bedroom.**

**The first thing he saw was that Hedwig was back. She was sitting in her cage, staring at Harry with her enormous amber eyes, and clicking her beak in the way that meant she was annoyed about something.**

Harry chuckled at the description of his owl. He personally loved how expressive she was.

**Exactly what was annoying her became apparent almost at once.**

"**OUCH!" said Harry as what appeared to be a small, gray, feathery tennis ball collided with the side of his head.**

Ron sighed at that, his owl was way too over excited in his opinion.

**Harry massaged the spot furiously, looking up to see what had hit him, and saw a minute owl, small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, whizzing excitedly around the room like a loose firework.**

"That owl sounds mental, it must be yours Weasel," Draco smirked and Ron flushed with anger and embarrassment.

**Harry then realized that the owl had dropped a letter at his feet. Harry bent down, recognized Ron's handwriting, then tore open the envelope. Inside was a hastily scribbled note.**

_**Harry - DAD GOT THE TICKETS - Ireland versus Bulgaria, Monday night. Mum**_**'**_**s writing to the Muggles to ask you to stay. They might already have the letter, I don**_**'**_**t know how fast Muggle post is. Thought I**_**'**_**d send this with Pig anyway.**_

"Pig?" Harry questioned. "You named your owl Pig?"

"Not exactly," Ron grumbled looking at Ginny.

"Oh …. you named the owl," Harry turned to Ginny, who blushed at being addressed by Harry directly.

She took a deep breath, _Come on Ginny, you said you were going to talk to him this year,_ she encouraged herself. "I named him Pigwidgeon …."

"Which is like the stupidest name ever," Ron rolled his eyes. "And the stupid owl won't answer to anything else, so I've got to call him Pig!"

"Oh," Harry chortled.

**Harry stared at the word "Pig," then looked up at the tiny owl now zooming around the light fixture on the ceiling. He had never seen anything that looked less like a pig. Maybe he couldn't read Ron's writing. He went back to the letter:**

_**We**_**'**_**re coming for you whether the Muggles like it or not, you can**_**'**_**t miss the World Cup, only Mum and Dad reckon it**_**'**_**s better if we pretend to ask their permission first. If they say yes, send Pig back with your answer pronto, and we**_**'**_**ll come and get you at five o**_**'**_**clock on Sunday. If they say no, send Pig back pronto and we**_**'**_**ll come and get you at five o**_**'**_**clock on Sunday anyway.**_

_**Hermione**_**'**_**s arriving this afternoon.**_

Hermione smiled at that, she has been interested in seeing Ron's home since Harry told her about it at the beginning of their second year. It sounded like such a fascinating place to her.

_**Percy**_**'**_**s started work - the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Don**_**'**_**t mention anything about Abroad while you**_**'**_**re here unless you want the pants bored off you.**_

"Ronald, don't say that about your brother!" Molly reprimanded as Percy scowled at him.

"Sorry, Mum," Ron sighed, but then muttered so only Harry could hear, "but seriously mate, don't mention anything to him."

_**See you soon –**_

_**Ron**_

"**Calm down!" Harry said as the small owl flew low over his head, twittering madly with what Harry could only assume was pride at having delivered the letter to the right person.**

"I don't really think that's it …. He just likes to fly around like a git all the time," Ron sighed.

"He sounds a lot like Sirius," Remus said with a smirk. "By any chance is he the one that gave you the owl?"

"Yes I did Moony, and just what do you think you're implying with your question?" Sirius asked.

"That the man that bought it was mad," Remus responded laughing as Sirius glared at him.

**"Come here, I need you to take my answer back!"**

**The owl fluttered down on top of Hedwig's cage. Hedwig looked coldly up at it, as though daring it to try and come any closer.**

**Harry seized his eagle-feather quill once more, grabbed a fresh piece of parchment, and wrote:**

_**Ron, it**_**'**_**s all okay, the Muggles say I can come. See you five o**_**'**_**clock tomorrow. Can**_**'**_**t wait.**_

_**Harry**_

**He folded this note up very small, and with immense difficulty, tied it to the tiny owl's leg as it hopped on the spot with excitement.**

"You're owl sounds adorable," Juliet commented.

"Thanks," Ron mumbled after Molly looked at him sternly.

**The moment the note was secure, the owl was off again; it zoomed out of the window and out of sight.**

**Harry turned to Hedwig.**

"**Feeling up to a long journey?" he asked her.**

**Hedwig hooted in a dignified sort of a way.**

"**Can you take this to Sirius for me?" he said, picking up his letter. "Hang on… I just want to finish it."**

**He unfolded the parchment and hastily added a postscript.**

_**If you want to contact me, I**_**'**_**ll be at my friend Ron Weasley**_**'**_**s for the rest of the summer. His dad**_**'**_**s got us tickets for the Quidditch World Cup!**_

"Oh sure, rub it in," Sirius grumbled and when Harry looked at him apologetically, he chuckled. "I was joking kid, don't take thing so Siriusly."

"Argh," Remus groaned. "I really thought I was done hearing that pun."

**The letter finished, he tied it to Hedwig's leg; she kept unusually still, as though determined to show him how a real post owl should behave.**

Several people snorted at this.

"**I'll be at Ron's when you get back, all right?" Harry told her.**

**She nipped his finger affectionately, then, with a soft swooshing noise, spread her enormous wings and soared out of the open window. Harry watched her out of sight, then crawled under his bed, wrenched up the loose floorboard, and pulled out a large chunk of birthday cake. He sat there on the floor eating it, savoring the happiness that was flooding through him. He had cake, and Dudley had nothing but grapefruit; it was a bright summer's day, he would be leaving Privet Drive tomorrow, his scar felt perfectly normal again, and he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup. It was hard, just now, to feel worried about anything - even Lord Voldemort.**

"Oh Harry, you shouldn't think things like that," Hermione sighed. "And that was the end of the chapter."

"I'll read next," Arthur said; Hermione gave him the book.

"Wait … We're supposed to eat now!" Sirius exclaimed. They all shortly headed to a different room so they could get food.


	5. Back to the Burrow

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Five

Back to the Burrow

They found the kitchen easily enough; it was full of food to last them a few weeks if necessary. Molly quickly got started on making everyone something, but it still was an hour before they finished and were able to read again.

Arthur then picked up the book and smiled as he read, **"Back to the Burrow."**

**By twelve o'clock the next day, Harry's school trunk was packed**

"Aren't you a bit keen, Harry," Fred chuckled.

"To get out of that hell hole …. yeah, I'm a bit keen," Harry rolled his eyes.

**with his school things and all his most prized possessions - the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father, the broomstick he had gotten from Sirius, the enchanted map of Hogwarts he had been given by Fred and George Weasley last year. He had emptied his hiding place under the loose floorboard of all food,**

"Ah Harry, you should have left that there," George sighed. "The smell of the rotting food would have driven your aunt crazy."

"Maybe," Harry chuckled at that. "But she probably would have found my hiding spot and I wouldn't have wanted that."

"I suppose you have a point," George shrugged.

"Besides there was the chance that she wouldn't have cleaned this out and I would have to live in there when I got back …." Harry added, wrinkling his nose.

**double-checked every nook and cranny of his bedroom for forgotten spellbooks or quills, and taken down the chart on the wall counting down the days to September the first, on which he liked to cross off the days remaining until his return to Hogwarts.**

"As a horrified warning about how soon vacation would be over right," Fred said.

"No, as a marking to count down until I was back at Hogwarts," Harry corrected and the twins looked at him horrified. "I'd have to say that I won't likely look at the chart when I get to your house."

**The atmosphere inside number four, Privet Drive was extremely tense.**

"Well that should make a good day for us," Fred chuckled looking at George, they had been planning something for this event and they were looking forward to what they'd do.

"Boys!" Molly said narrowing her eyes at them, knowing what that grin meant. "What are you planning?"

"We have no idea Mum," Fred replied.

"Honest!" George added trying not to smile.

Remus places his hand over his mouth so he could hide his own smile. He could tell by the twins' expression that this just wasn't planned yet. He could remember James and Sirius looking like that a few times in the past. It was almost painful to remember those times, but considerable less so now that Sirius was back.

**The imminent arrival at their house of an assortment of wizards was making the Dursleys uptight and irritable. Uncle Vernon had looked downright alarmed when Harry informed him that the Weasleys would be arriving at five o'clock the very next day.**

"If he's alarmed about the warning I can't wait to see his face when we actually get there," Fred chuckled.

"**I hope you told them to dress properly, these people," he snarled at once. "I've seen the sort of stuff your lot wear. They'd better have the decency to put on normal clothes, that's all."**

Arthur flushed at this; he wasn't planning on wearing Muggle clothes.

"Don't worry, you can wear whatever you want," Harry told him, correctly interrupting Arthur expression.

"Or you could just get some Muggle clothes to wear for the occasion," Teddy added.

"Don't give him any ideas," Molly grumbled as Arthur started smiling.

"Oh come on, Molly dear, It would be best if I dress the part," Arthur said.

"Just read Arthur," Molly rolled her eyes and her husband did as he was told.

**Harry felt a slight sense of foreboding. He had rarely seen Mr. or Mrs. Weasley wearing anything that the Dursleys would call "normal." Their children might don Muggle clothing during the holidays,**

"I've always wondered why that was." Hermione commented. "Why did you have Muggle clothing?"

"Er …. I don't know," Ron said. "I supposed we got some for whenever we go into town …."

"But it's not just your family, everyone in our common room wears Muggle clothing," Hermione pointed out.

"The times, they are a changing," Teddy chuckled. "In my time even people in the Ministry are staring to wear pants and shirts instant of the traditional robes."

"You've been to the Ministry …. Do you work there?" Percy asked, his expression was pensive and Teddy had a feeling that Percy still didn't trust him.

"I was applying for a job as an Auror before I came here," Teddy said.

"Really …. even though what you're doing right now is against the law," Percy grimaced, but Teddy just chuckled at that.

"Only if I'm caught."

"Why would you apply for a job if you knew you were coming here?" Ginny questioned, she was finding that she liked Teddy.

"I told you, even though I'm here with you right now, there's another Teddy living the life I would have lead in the futures of these books," Teddy responded.

"I don't think I understand that," Ginny frowned. "I mean how can that be …. isn't there only one reality …. once you change something from your past doesn't your future cease to exist."

"I'm not sure in all cases, but definitely not in this case," Teddy replied. "Aunt Mione explained this …."

"Aunt Mione?" Hermione questioned, wondering who that was, but having a strange feeling it might be her. Ron's ears were turning red at this name, he had always called Hermione, Mione in his thoughts but he's never said it out loud.

"Er …. sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Teddy sighed. "As I was saying …."

"So just who is this Aunt Mione of yours?" George asked, not missing Ron's rapidly reddening ears.

"Is it anyone we know?" Fred added.

"Hm …. let's think, who could be called Mione," George said thoughtfully.

"I don't know dear brother, that is a tough one," Fred added just as thoughtfully, before the both of them looked over at Hermione with a grin.

"Yes, fine, she's Mione," Teddy huffed. "Now can we …."

"No, no, we want to know how she got that nickname!" Fred interrupted.

"Doesn't have anything to do with a certain red eared man, now does it?" George grinned, nodding his head towards Ron.

"Did you come up with that?" Hermione asked, turning toward her friend with a questioning expression.

"Er …. well, sort of," Ron said uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Do you not like it …?"

Hermione smiled at him, hoping she wasn't blushing too much, "I do like it …. I've never had a nickname before …. well at least not a flattering one …."

"Oh … cool … so er … I can call you that then," Ron was still uncomfortable, but now he was smiling.

As Hermione nodded her head, Duncan scowled. He definitely didn't like what was going on here …. his daughter was much too young to like boys.

"So," Hermione said, turning back to Teddy. "What did I tell you in the future?"

"Huh?" Teddy blinked. "Oh, well, you told me that there is more than one way to travel through time. With something like the time turner, there's a cause and effect quality to it so it doesn't matter what your future or past self does, the outcome is already determined. However, with what I'm doing, it will cause ripples through time changing the outcome of my future, in which case a separate reality is created. Er …. if that make sense."

"As much sense as it's going to make," Ron stated looking confused.

"Yes it made sense," Ginny sniggered. "Thanks for answering."

**but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley usually wore long robes in varying states of shabbiness. Harry wasn't bothered about what the neighbors would think, but he was anxious about how rude the Dursleys might be to the Weasleys if they turned up looking like their worst idea of wizards.**

"Don't worry about that Harry, we wouldn't let those Muggles get to us," Fred chuckled.

"It almost makes you feel sorry for the Dursleys," Neville muttered to Ginny, whom he was sitting next to. "You know, after Fred and George get done with them …."

Ginny snorted, but said, "It would take even more than that for me to feel sorry of those gits …."

**Uncle Vernon had put on his best suit. To some people, this might have looked like a gesture of welcome, but Harry knew it was because Uncle Vernon wanted to look impressive and intimidating.**

Draco scowled at this, knowing that his dad did the same thing and hating that they shared something in common with this Muggle.

**Dudley, on the other hand, looked somehow diminished. This was not because the diet was at last taking effect, but due to fright. Dudley had emerged from his last encounter with a fully grown wizard with a curly pig's tail poking out of the seat of his trousers,**

"What?" severally people exclaimed in different tones – though amusement seemed to be the general emotion in the room.

"How did that happen?" Sirius asked, laughing like he hasn't been able to in years.

"Hagrid did it when he got me before first year," Harry explained through his laughter. "It was bloody brilliant."

"Harry," Molly scowled at him for swearing, though her own amusement seemed to diminish the effect. "Hagrid really shouldn't have done that …. especially since he's not allowed to do magic!"

"Why can't he use magic?" Duncan questioned.

"He was expelled," Hermione responded.

"For something he didn't do," Harry grumbled. "Hey …. is Hagrid allowed to do magic now?"

"No, not as of yet, though Dumbledore is trying to have the Ministry acknowledge that he had done nothing wrong as a boy," Arthur said gravely.

"Hmph," Harry huffed and Arthur decided to continue reading.

**and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had had to pay for its removal at a private hospital in London. It wasn't altogether surprising, therefore, that Dudley kept running his hand nervously over his backside, and walking sideways from room to room, so as not to present the same target to the enemy.**

"Hm …. maybe we should think about targeting that area," George whispered to Fred.

"I don't know, I'm kind of thinking it would be more entertaining if he's afraid of multiply points of attack," Fred whispered back.

"Why don't you just wait and see what happens in the book before you decide what to do to him in reality?" Bill spoke up from behind the twins, causing them to jump slightly; thankfully for them no one else noticed as they were listening to their dad reading.

"Good point, eldest brother," the twins voiced at the same time and Bill chuckled.

**Lunch was an almost silent meal. Dudley didn't even protest at the food (cottage cheese and grated celery).**

"Argh …. that doesn't sound good," Ron interjected causing everyone to look at him oddly.

"Wait a second, is there actually something that Ron doesn't like eating," Harry teased. "Call the _Prophet_, this should be a headline!"

"Shut up, Harry!" Ron glared at his friend, who just laughed.

"Sorry, but it is shocking."

"Well, I didn't say I wouldn't like it if I ate it, I just said that cottage cheese doesn't sound good …. what is it anyway?" Ron asked.

"It's cheese that's made from curls and skim milk," Juliet answered. "It's actually really good for you."

**Aunt Petunia wasn't, eating anything at all. Her arms were folded, her lips were pursed, and she seemed to be chewing her tongue, as though biting back the furious diatribe she longed to throw at Harry.**

"**They'll be driving, of course?" Uncle Vernon barked across the table.**

"**Er," said Harry.**

**He hadn't thought of that. How were the Weasleys going to pick him up?**

"Through the Floo, I've had your house connected to the network for a few hours on that day," Arthur answered. "I suppose we should have told you about that."

"You really should of," Harry responded, looking worried and amused at the same time.

"What? What is it Harry?" Hermione asked nervously, not liking that look.

"You'll see," Teddy said before Harry could, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Excellent," Tonks noted, rubbing her hands together. "I have a feeling this is going to be good."

Arthur sighed, before he started reading again.

**They didn't have a car anymore; the old Ford Anglia they had once owned was currently running wild in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.**

"Is it really?" Arthur asked. "Merlin I would like to see it again …."

"Arthur!" Molly growled dangerously and Arthur started reading again before his wife could get any angrier at him.

**But Mr. Weasley had borrowed a Ministry of Magic car last year; possibly he would do the same today?**

"**I think so," said Harry.**

**Uncle Vernon snorted into his mustache. Normally, Uncle Vernon would have asked what car Mr. Weasley drove; he tended to judge other men by how big and expensive their cars were.**

"Hmph, that's a horrible way of judging people," Duncan frowned.

**But Harry doubted whether Uncle Vernon would have taken to Mr. Weasley even if he drove a Ferrari.**

"What's a Ferrari?" Arthur asked.

"It's like a Firebolt - only in cars," Sirius explained, smiling as he thought of his old obsession with Muggle cars and motorcycles. "They're quite beautiful to look at too …."

"I think that's enough about the cars," Molly stated sternly and Arthur started reading again.

**Harry spent most of the afternoon in his bedroom; he couldn't stand watching Aunt Petunia peer out through the net curtains every few seconds, as though there had been a warning about an escaped rhinoceros. Finally, at a quarter to five, Harry went back downstairs and into the living room.**

**Aunt Petunia was compulsively straightening cushions. Uncle Vernon was pretending to read the paper, but his tiny eyes were not moving, and Harry was sure he was really listening with all his might for the sound of an approaching car. Dudley was crammed into an armchair, his porky hands beneath him, clamped firmly around his bottom. Harry couldn't take the tension; he left the room and went and sat on the stairs in the hall, his eyes on his watch and his heart pumping fast from excitement and nerves.**

"Merlin Harry, you've seriously got to relax," Fred pointed out. "It's not like we're going to do anything …."

"At least not to you," George added.

"George!" Molly said warningly.

"Er …." was all George could say to that as Arthur started reading again.

**But five o'clock came and then went. Uncle Vernon, perspiring slightly in his suit, opened the front door, peered up and down the street, then withdrew his head quickly.**

"**They're late!" he snarled at Harry.**

"**I know," said Harry. "Maybe - er - the traffic's bad, or something."**

**Ten past five … then a quarter past five … Harry was starting to feel anxious himself now.**

"Starting?" Ron questioned, raising his eyebrow. "What were you before?"

"Er …. mildly nervous," Harry shrugged. "Why are you so late anyway, if you're traveling by Floo?"

"Sorry Harry, it's probably my fault," Arthur sighed, "I always seemed to be running a little bit late."

**At half past, he heard Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia conversing in terse mutters in the living room.**

"**No consideration at all."**

"**We might've had an engagement."**

"But that would entail that someone else enjoy your company, which seems highly unlikely from what I've heard about you so far."

"Duncan! Don't say things like that," Juliet scolded.

"Why not, it's true?" Duncan shrugged, causing the Weasley boys and Harry to laugh.

"You might be right, but it's still not right to judge someone before you even get to know them," Juliet huffed.

"**Maybe they think they'll get invited to dinner if they're late."**

"Why would we want that, no one could compare to mum's cooking!" Fred exclaimed.

"I bet Fred's only saying that because he knows the Fred in the book is about to do something and he wants to soften Mum up a bit," Bill whispered to Percy laughing. His brother just scowled at him and Bill rolled his eyes, he really wished that Percy would learn to lighten up a little in the future.

"**Well, they most certainly won't be," said Uncle Vernon, and Harry heard him stand up and start pacing the living room. "They'll take the boy and go, there'll be no hanging around. That's if they're coming at all. Probably mistaken the day. I daresay their kind don't set much store by punctuality. Either that or they drive some tin-pot car that's broken d- AAAAAARRRRGH!"**

"Hm …. something tells me that we have arrived," George said smirking.

**Harry jumped up. From the other side of the living room door came the sounds of the three Dursleys scrambling, panic-stricken, across the room. Next moment Dudley came flying into the hall, looking terrified.**

"**What happened?" said Harry. "What's the matter?"**

**But Dudley didn't seem able to speak. Hands still clamped over his buttocks, he waddled as fast as he could into the kitchen. Harry hurried into the living room. Loud bangings and scrapings were coming from behind the Dursleys' boarded-up fireplace,**

"What?" Arthur stopped, looking up. "The fireplace is blocked!"

"Yeah," Harry nodded.

"It seems like I'm going to have to figure out a new way to get to your house now," Arthur sighed before reading again.

**which had a fake coal fire plugged in front of it.**

"An Eclectic fire! Really! How does that work?!"

"Not now Arthur!" Molly growled.

"**What is it?" gasped Aunt Petunia, who had backed into the wall and was staring, terrified, toward the fire. "What is it, Vernon?"**

**But they were left in doubt barely a second longer. Voices could be heard from inside the blocked fireplace.**

"**Ouch! Fred, no - go back, go back, there's been some kind of mistake – tell George not to - OUCH! George, no, there's no room, go back quickly and tell Ron-"**

Hermione started laughing at this and everyone looked at her curiously.

"Sorry, I was just thinking that this sounds like the start of a good joke to me," she explained. "How many Weasleys can you fit in a fireplace before it burst?"

Several people chuckled at this, particularly Teddy, who knew that that was exactly what was going to happen.

"**Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad - maybe he'll be able to let us out-"**

**There was a loud hammering of fists on the boards behind the electric fire.**

"**Harry? Harry, can you hear us?"**

**The Dursleys rounded on Harry like a pair of angry wolverines.**

"**What is this?" growled Uncle Vernon. "What's going on?"**

"**They - they've tried to get here by Floo powder," said Harry, fighting a mad desire to laugh. "They can travel by fire - only you've blocked the fireplace – hang on -"**

"Oh, Hermione that reminds me, your fireplace isn't blocked is it?" Arthur asked suddenly.

"No, it's not," Hermione said.

"So that's how you're planning on getting Hermione too," Duncan exclaimed, looking excited. "That sounds like something I would like to see!"

**He approached the fireplace and called through the boards.**

"**Mr. Weasley? Can you hear me?"**

**The hammering stopped. Somebody inside the chimney piece said, "Shh!"**

"**Mr. Weasley, it's Harry… the fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to get through there."**

"**Damn!" said Mr. Weasley's voice.**

"Arthur!"

"Sorry, Molly," Arthur mumbled before reading again.

**"What on earth did they want to block up the fireplace for?"**

"**They've got an electric fire," Harry explained.**

"**Really?" said Mr. Weasley's voice excitedly. "Eclectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that …**

"You're never going to change," Molly said exasperated as everyone sniggered.

"No, probably not, but you don't really want me to, do you?" Arthur smiled at her.

"No …. I suppose I don't," she smiled back at him.

**Let's think… ouch, Ron!"**

**Ron's voice now joined the others'.**

"**What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?"**

"Nah, we just all like to hang out in cramped dark spaces for the fun of it," Fred commented sarcastically.

"**Oh no, Ron," came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."**

"**Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here," said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall.**

"Ah, poor Georgie being squashed," Ron smirked at him and George glared back.

"**Boys, boys…" said Mr. Weasley vaguely. "I'm trying to think what to do… Yes… only way… Stand back, Harry."**

**Harry retreated to the sofa. Uncle Vernon, however, moved forward.**

"**Wait a moment!" he bellowed at the fire. "What exactly are you going to -"**

**BANG.**

This one word seems to have everyone erupting, most of which was into laughter, but Molly was screaming at Arthur … something about not demolishing other peoples' living room.

As everyone settle back down Neville said with a smile, "it looks like it will take four Weasleys in the fireplace before its burst, Hermione."

"I suppose so," Hermione laughed, along with the younger Weasleys and Harry.

**The electric fire shot across the room as the boarded-up fireplace burst outward, expelling Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ron in a cloud of rubble and loose chippings. Aunt Petunia shrieked and fell backward over the coffee table; Uncle Vernon caught her before she hit the floor, and gaped, speechless, at the Weasleys, all of whom had bright red hair, including Fred and George, who were identical to the last freckle.**

"That's not true Harry," Fred interrupted. "I have three freckles right here that George doesn't have!"

"I'm sorry, I'll try to remember that in the future," Harry responded, rolling his eyes.

"**That's better," panted Mr. Weasley, brushing dust from his long green robes and straightening his glasses. "Ah - you must be Harry's aunt and uncle!"**

**Tall, thin, and balding, he moved toward Uncle Vernon, his hand outstretched, but Uncle Vernon backed away several paces, dragging Aunt Petunia. Words utterly failed Uncle Vernon.**

"Well that's really how I like him best, so thanks for the nice entrance Mr. Weasley," Harry chuckled.

**His best suit was covered in white dust, which had settled in his hair and mustache and made him look as though he had just aged thirty years.**

"**Er - yes - sorry about that," said Mr. Weasley, lowering his hand and looking over his shoulder at the blasted fireplace. "It's all my fault. It just didn't occur to me that we wouldn't be able to get out at the other end. I had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network, you see - just for an afternoon, you know, so we could get Harry. Muggle fireplaces aren't supposed to be connected, strictly speaking - but I've got a useful contact at the Floo Regulation Panel and he fixed it for me. I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don't worry. I'll light a fire to send the boys back, and ****then I can repair your fireplace before I Disapparate."**

**Harry was ready to bet that the Dursleys hadn't understood a single word of this.**

"I'm sorry to admit that I don't understand much of what you said either," Duncan frowned.

**They were still gaping at Mr. Weasley, thunderstruck. Aunt Petunia staggered upright again and hid behind Uncle Vernon.**

"**Hello, Harry!" said Mr. Weasley brightly. "Got your trunk ready?"**

"**It's upstairs," said Harry, grinning back.**

"**We'll get it," said Fred at once. Winking at Harry, he and George left the room.**

"No, don't let them out of your sight," Molly worried.

"Don't worry Molly, I'm sure they're not going to blow up the house or anything like that," Tonks soothed.

"I won't put it past them," Molly mumbled.

**They knew where Harry's bedroom was, having once rescued him from it in the dead of night. Harry suspected that Fred and George were hoping for a glimpse of Dudley; they had heard a lot about him from Harry.**

Again Molly narrowed her eyes at the twins, who couldn't seem to meet her glare.

"**Well," said Mr. Weasley, swinging his arms slightly, while he tried to find words to break the very nasty silence. "Very - erm - very nice place you've got here." As the usually spotless living room was now covered in dust and bits of brick, this remark didn't go down too well with the Dursleys.**

"Why not, to me it makes the place sound better," Tonks said. "I can't stand things being too neat."

"Neither can I," Teddy chuckled. "It drives my grandmother crazy."

"I knew I would like you kid," Tonks smiled at him, causing Teddy to smile oddly, loving to hear that from his mum.

**Uncle Vernon's face purpled once more, and Aunt Petunia started chewing her tongue again. However, they seemed too scared to actually say anything.**

**Mr. Weasley was looking around. He loved everything to do with Muggles. Harry could see him itching to go and examine the television and the video recorder.**

"**They run off eckeltricity, do they?" he said knowledgeably. "Ah yes, I can see the plugs. I collect plugs," he added to Uncle Vernon. "And batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. My wife thinks I'm mad, but there you are."**

"You are mad Arthur," Molly informed him, fondly.

**Uncle Vernon clearly thought Mr. Weasley was mad too. He moved ever so slightly to the right, screening Aunt Petunia from view, as though he thought Mr. Weasley might suddenly run at them and attack.**

"These people obviously can't understand what a nice person looks like," Duncan mumbled. He might think Arthur Weasley was a little excitable and definitely a bit odd with his Muggle obsession, but it was clear that he was a good guy.

**Dudley suddenly reappeared in the room. Harry could hear the clunk of his trunk on the stairs, and knew that the sounds had scared Dudley out of the kitchen. Dudley edged along the wall, gazing at Mr. Weasley with terrified eyes, and attempted to conceal himself behind his mother and father. Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon's bulk, while sufficient to hide bony Aunt Petunia, was nowhere near enough to conceal Dudley.**

"**Ah, this is your cousin, is it, Harry?" said Mr. Weasley, taking another brave stab at making conversation.**

"I suggest that you don't bother, they're not going to respond pleasantly to it," Harry told Arthur.

"Yes, it appears that way," Arthur sighed.

"**Yep," said Harry, "that's Dudley."**

**He and Ron exchanged glances and then quickly looked away from each other; the temptation to burst out laughing was almost overwhelming. Dudley was still clutching his bottom as though afraid it might fall off.**

This image caused several people to snigger.

**Mr. Weasley, however, seemed genuinely concerned at Dudley's peculiar behavior. Indeed, from the tone of his voice when he next spoke, Harry was quite sure that Mr. Weasley thought Dudley was quite as mad as the Dursleys thought he was, except that Mr. Weasley felt sympathy rather than fear.**

"**Having a good holiday, Dudley?" he said kindly.**

**Dudley whimpered. Harry saw his hands tighten still harder over his massive backside.**

**Fred and George came back into the room carrying Harry's school trunk. They glanced around as they entered and spotted Dudley. Their faces cracked into identical evil grins.**

"Boys!" Molly growled.

"You better make it worth it, because it looks like you're about to get seriously punished," Sirius cut Molly off with a grin.

"I'm sure it will be worth it," they said together, grinning as well.

"**Ah, right," said Mr. Weasley. "Better get cracking then."**

**He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and took out his wand. Harry saw the Dursleys draw back against the wall as one.**

"**Incendio!" said Mr. Weasley, pointing his wand at the hole in the wall behind him.**

**Flames rose at once in the fireplace, crackling merrily as though they had been burning for hours. Mr. Weasley took a small drawstring bag from his pocket, untied it, took a pinch of the powder inside, and threw it onto the flames, which turned emerald green and roared higher than ever.**

"**Off you go then, Fred," said Mr. Weasley.**

"**Coming," said Fred. "Oh no - hang on -"**

**A bag of sweets had spilled out of Fred's pocket and the contents were now rolling in every direction - big, fat toffees in brightly colored wrappers.**

"That better not be what I think it is!" Molly said in a deadly quite voice.

"Er …." was again all the twins could manage as Arthur resumed reading.

**Fred scrambled around, cramming them back into his pocket, then gave the Dursleys a cheery wave, stepped forward, and walked right into the fire, saying "the Burrow!" Aunt Petunia gave a little shuddering gasp. There was a whooshing sound, and Fred vanished.**

"**Right then, George," said Mr. Weasley, "you and the trunk."**

**Harry helped George carry the trunk forward into the flames and turn it onto its end so that he could hold it better. Then, with a second whoosh, George had cried "the Burrow!" and vanished too.**

"Aw," the twin sighed, though not loudly enough for Molly to hear them. They had been hoping to be on the scene when the curse took effect …. Well, at least with this book they would hear what happened.

"**Ron, you next," said Mr. Weasley.**

"**See you," said Ron brightly to the Dursleys. He grinned broadly at Harry, then stepped into the fire, shouted "the Burrow!" and disappeared. Now Harry and Mr. Weasley alone remained.**

"**Well … 'bye then," Harry said to the Dursleys.**

**They didn't say anything at all.**

"They didn't say anything!" Molly and Juliet said looking outraged by that.

"But they're family, the least they could do is say goodbye," Arthur frowned.

"Yeah, well, whatever," Harry shrugged indifferently, it didn't really matter to him that they didn't say goodbye to him. This, however, didn't seemed to be the right answer, because everyone was looking at him sadly; though they could tell that Harry didn't want to talk about this so Arthur resumed reading again.

**Harry moved toward the fire, but just as he reached the edge of the hearth, Mr. Weasley put out a hand and held him back. He was looking at the Dursleys in amazement.**

"**Harry said good-bye to you," he said. "Didn't you hear him?"**

"**It doesn't matter," Harry muttered to Mr. Weasley. "Honestly, I don't care."**

"That doesn't mean it doesn't matter Harry," Hermione murmured softly so only he could hear. He just looked at her sadly, not having anything to say to that.

**Mr. Weasley did not remove his hand from Harry's shoulder.**

"**You aren't going to see your nephew till next summer," he said to Uncle Vernon in mild indignation. "Surely you're going to say good-bye?"**

**Uncle Vernon's face worked furiously. The idea of being taught consideration by a man who had just blasted away half his living room wall seemed to be causing him intense suffering. But Mr. Weasley's wand was still in his hand, and Uncle Vernon's tiny eyes darted to it once, before he said, very resentfully, "Good-bye, then."**

Arthur frowned at this more, first at the thought that this Muggle thought he would actually curse them, and second at this being the only reason that he would say goodbye to Harry. It just wasn't right.

"**See you," said Harry, putting one foot forward into the green flames, which felt pleasantly like warm breath. At that moment, however, a horrible gagging sound erupted behind him, and Aunt Petunia started to scream.**

At this most of the room smirked, the twins looking every excited to see what they had done.

**Harry wheeled around. Dudley was no longer standing behind his parents. He was kneeling beside the coffee table, and he was gagging and sputtering on a foot-long, purple, slimy thing that was protruding from his mouth. One bewildered second later, Harry realized that the foot-long thing was Dudley's tongue - and that a brightly colored toffee wrapper lay on the floor before him.**

"Brilliant!" Sirius laughed out loud.

"Quite the ingenious curse," Remus agreed smiling at the twins.

"Ingenious?! It's awful!" Molly screamed. "And I thought we had confiscated all of those candies that you made. When we get home I'm going to search your rooms until I've found every bit of dangerous …."

Molly kept screaming about this to the twins, who were trying to look ashamed of themselves, but it wasn't working so well. Especially when the rest of the room was still laughing at what had happened.

**Aunt Petunia hurled herself onto the ground beside Dudley, seized the end of his swollen tongue, and attempted to wrench it out of his mouth; unsurprisingly, Dudley yelled and sputtered worse than ever, trying to fight her off. Uncle Vernon was bellowing and waving his arms around, and Mr. Weasley had to shout to make himself heard.**

"**Not to worry, I can sort him out!" he yelled, advancing on Dudley with his wand outstretched, but Aunt Petunia screamed worse than ever and threw herself on top of Dudley, shielding him from Mr. Weasley.**

Arthur grimace at this and then he looked at the twins with a disappointed expression. "I don't ever want to hear you pulling a prank like this again. It's things like this that hurt our relationship with Muggles …. as you can see they are terrified of me …."

"Honestly Mr. Weasley, they have feared wizards long before this," Harry voiced.

"Be that as it may, I don't appreciate my sons furthering their fears," Arthur stated.

"I'm sorry Dad, but we only did it to him because he's a git," George responded.

"Honest, it had nothing to do with him being a Muggle," Fred added.

"**No, really!" said Mr. Weasley desperately. "It's a simple process it was the toffee - my son Fred - real practical joker - but it's only an Engorgement Charm - at least, I think it is - please, I can correct it -"**

**But far from being reassured, the Dursleys became more panic- stricken; Aunt Petunia was sobbing hysterically, tugging Dudley's tongue as though determined to rip it out; Dudley appeared to be suffocating under the combined pressure of his mother and his tongue; and Uncle Vernon, who had lost control completely, seized a china figure from on top of the sideboard and threw it very hard at Mr. Weasley, who ducked, causing the ornament to shatter in the blasted fireplace.**

This caused Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Teddy, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Bill and Ginny all to laugh.

"**Now really!" said Mr. Weasley angrily, brandishing his wand. "I'm trying to help!"**

**Bellowing like a wounded hippo, Uncle Vernon snatched up another ornament.**

"**Harry, go! Just go!" Mr. Weasley shouted, his wand on Uncle Vernon. "I'll sort this out!"**

**Harry didn't want to miss the fun,**

"And we don't want to miss it either, don't go Harry," Ron chuckled.

**but Uncle Vernon's second ornament narrowly missed his left ear, and on balance he thought it best to leave the situation to Mr. Weasley. He stepped into the fire, looking over his shoulder as he said "the Burrow!" His last fleeting glimpse of the living room was of Mr. Weasley blasting a third ornament out of Uncle Vernon's hand with his wand, Aunt Petunia screaming and lying on top of Dudley, and Dudley's tongue lolling around like a great slimy python. But next moment Harry had begun to spin very fast, and the Dursleys' living room was whipped out of sight in a rush of emerald-green flames.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Arthur looked up. "Who would like to read next?"

"I will," Molly said, still angry at the twins, but also wanting to hear about her family.


	6. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Six

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

"**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes,"** Molly read and then glared at the twins. "Do you mind telling me what this is about?"

"I think you know what it's about," Fred answer his mum, looking determined and yet a little sad.

"Just keep reading, I'm sure it will come up in the book soon enough," George added with a sighed.

**Harry spun faster and faster, elbows tucked tightly to his sides, blurred fireplaces flashing past him, until he started to feel sick and closed his eyes. Then, when at last he felt himself slowing down, he threw out his hands and came to a halt in time to prevent himself from falling face forward out of the Weasleys' kitchen fire.**

"Is that what it feels like to Floo?" Hermione asked, not looking so eager to try that now.

"Yeah," Harry answered, making a face, it was definitely not his favorite form of travel.

"It's not so bad," Ron argued. "Once you get used to it, it's nothing."

"**Did he eat it?" said Fred excitedly, holding out a hand to pull Harry to his feet.**

Molly's voice was dangerous at Fred's questioned, and the twins realized that they probably weren't going to like the start of this chapter very much.

"**Yeah," said Harry, straightening up. "What was it?"**

"**Ton-Tongue Toffee," said Fred brightly. "George and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer …"**

"Wait …. you mean you two made those!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Yeah," they smiled.

"That's brilliant!" Sirius beamed at them, "And here I thought you just were using a Zonks product or something …."

"We …." Fred started to say but he didn't get any farther before his mum started yelling.

"No! It's not brilliant!" Molly shouted, "There is so many thing you two could have done with your time than waste it on making something this ridiculous!"

"The toffees weren't ridiculous," Sirius said. "Trust me Molly, as a former prankster, this is something fresh and inventive …."

"Er …. why don't you keep reading, Molly dear," Arthur cut Sirius off before his wife could get any angrier. The twins however, were looking rather pleased with themselves, one of their idols had just complimented their hard work, after all.

**The tiny kitchen exploded with laughter; Harry looked around and saw that Ron and George were sitting at the scrubbed wooden table with two red-haired people Harry had never seen before, though he knew immediately who they must be: Bill and Charlie, the two eldest Weasley brothers.**

"Oh," Bill said smiling sheepishly. "I didn't really introduce myself when I got here, did I?"

"No, but seeing as Mrs. Weasley called you Bill, I figured that's who you were," Harry smiled back at him.

"Well, it's nice to finally get to meant you, Harry," Bill said, getting up to shake his hand and then turned to Hermione and did the same with her, "and you too of course, Hermione. Ron's told me a lot about you both."

"**How're you doing, Harry?" said the nearer of the two, grinning at him and holding out a large hand, which Harry shook, feeling calluses and blisters under his fingers. This had to be Charlie, who worked with dragons in Romania. Charlie was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy and Ron, who were both long and lanky. He had a broad, good-natured face, which was weather-beaten and so freckly that he looked almost tanned; his arms were muscular, and one of them had a large, shiny burn on it.**

"Oh dear! I wonder how he got that!" Molly fretted.

"I'm sure it wasn't anything too serious," Arthur tried to reassure her but it didn't work. Charlie worked with dragons after all; everything was serious when you were working with dragons!

**Bill got to his feet, smiling, and also shook Harry's hand. Bill came as something of a surprise. Harry knew that he worked for the wizarding bank, Gringotts, and that Bill had been Head Boy at Hogwarts; Harry had always imagined Bill to be an older version of Percy:**

All the younger Weasleys laughed at that.

"Sorry, I guess I didn't give you a very accurate impression of Bill," Ron laughed.

"Yeah, Bill is actually cool!" Fred added laughing, which caused Percy to frown.

**fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around.**

Percy's grimace grew after hearing about how Harry had thought of him.

"Sorry," Harry said frowning as well.

**However, Bill was - there was no other word for it - cool. He was tall, with long hair that he had tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it.**

Molly shook her head at that, not approving of the earring, but she continued to read, her voice filled with fondness.

**Bill's clothes would not have looked out of place at a rock concert, except that Harry recognized his boots to be made, not of leather, but of dragon hide.**

**Before any of them could say anything else, there was a faint popping noise, and Mr. Weasley appeared out of thin air at George's shoulder. He was looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him.**

"**That wasn't funny Fred!" he shouted. "What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"**

"Why is it always my fault?" Fred pouted. "George does just as many things as I do, but I'm always the one you blame."

"It's because I have the more innocent expression," George shrugged.

"No, it's because alphabetically your name is first, so it's just easier to say your name," Bill suggested.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why," Arthur chuckled, shaking his head.

"**I didn't give him anything," said Fred, with another evil grin. "I just dropped it… It was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to."**

"**You dropped it on purpose!" roared Mr. Weasley. "You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet -"**

"To be honest, I'm sure he would have eaten it even if he wasn't on a diet," Harry said. "I don't think I've ever seen him walk away from a piece of candy if he could help it."

"So he's just as smart as Crabbe and Goyle," Ron said catching Harry's eyes and the two boys sniggered at the memory of their second year.

"**How big did his tongue get?" George asked eagerly.**

"**It was four feet long before his parents would let me shrink it!"**

"Arthur!" Molly groaned. "Don't tell them that!"

"Sorry," Arthur sighed.

**Harry and the Weasleys roared with laughter again.**

"**It isn't funny!" Mr. Weasley shouted. "That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard-Muggle relations! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons."**

"Hm …. I wonder what my dad would do if he knew this happened?" Draco mused to himself, he was sure if there was a way to use this against the Weasley his father would think of something.

"But this hasn't happened yet," Ginny pointed out. "So there's no point to worrying about that at all."

Draco just shrugged at her, but he knew she had a point.

"**We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!" said Fred indignantly.**

"**No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," said George. "Isn't he, Harry?"**

"**Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley," said Harry earnestly.**

"That doesn't justify doing something like this to him," Arthur said to the twins and Harry. "It's never right to become a bully yourself just because you were bullied before."

"We're not bullies!" George said indignantly. "It was just a prank!"

"You can be bullies," Percy muttered and the twins grimaced.

"**That's not the point!" raged Mr. Weasley. "You wait until I tell your mother -"**

"**Tell me what?" said a voice behind them.**

The twins groaned, knowing that they were going to be getting another lecture about this, via the book this time.

**Mrs. Weasley had just entered the kitchen. She was a short, plump woman with a very kind face, though her eyes were presently narrowed with suspicion.**

"**Oh hello, Harry, dear," she said, spotting him and smiling. Then her eyes snapped back to her husband. "Tell me what, Arthur?"**

**Mr. Weasley hesitated. Harry could tell that, however angry he was with Fred and George, he hadn't really intended to tell Mrs. Weasley what had happened.**

"Hmph!" Molly huffed and Arthur shifted in his seat uncomfortable.

Harry felt bad about getting Mr. Weasley in trouble because of his thoughts.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure Mum would have figured that out herself anyway," Ginny whispered to him, unable to take his sad expression.

"Thanks," Harry smiled at her, and though she was still blushing she didn't look away.

"There you go Ginny," Hermione whispered to her friend so only the other girl could hear her. "I told you if you just talked to him, he'd like you."

"Shut up!" Ginny groaned back, blushing more than ever now.

**There was a silence, while Mr. Weasley eyed his wife nervously. Then two girls appeared in the kitchen doorway behind Mrs. Weasley. One, with very bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth,**

Hermione grimaced at that, she always hated her hair and teeth and it was made only worst when she realized that's how Harry viewed her. It didn't help any that all the boys were sniggering at this description. However, when Harry mouthed that he was sorry she still gave him smile as way of accepting his apology.

**was Harry's and Ron's friend, Hermione Granger. The other, who was small and red-haired, was Ron's younger sister, Ginny.**

Now it was Ginny's turn to frown, she was just Ron's younger sister.

**Both of them smiled at Harry, who grinned back, which made Ginny go scarlet - she had been very taken with Harry ever since his first visit to the Burrow.**

"Oh Merlin!" Ginny groaned as almost everyone else sniggered at this. She was pleased however, that at least Harry wasn't laughing, but looking almost as uncomfortable as she was.

"**Tell me what, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley repeated, in a dangerous sort of voice.**

"**It's nothing, Molly," mumbled Mr. Weasley, "Fred and George just - but I've had words with them -"**

"Arthur, how could you try to keep this from me?" Molly glared at her husband.

"Er …. well …," Arthur said, trying to think of something, but then sighed in defeat. "Sorry."

"**What have they done this time?" said Mrs. Weasley. "If it's got anything to do with Weasleys' ****Wizard Wheezes -"**

Molly's tone as she read this was the same as it would have been in the book. She was also shooting glares at the twins.

"What's Weas …?" Sirius started to ask, but Molly continued reading, she didn't want Sirius trying to encourage her sons in this venture.

"**Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?" said Hermione from the doorway.**

"**He knows where he's sleeping," said Ron, "in my room, he slept there last -"**

Everyone sniggered at that.

"Sometimes Ron, you really are thick," Hermione sighed.

"What?" Ron frowned.

"She's obviously trying to get you out of the kitchen," Bill explained with a laughed.

"Oh," Ron said, his ears turning red.

"**We can all go," said Hermione pointedly.**

"**Oh," said Ron, cottoning on. "Right."**

"**Yeah, we'll come too," said George.**

"Nice try," Sirius sniggered. "But there's not a chance your mum will let that happened."

"You've got that right!" Molly nearly growled.

"**You stay where you are!" snarled Mrs. Weasley.**

**Harry and Ron edged out of the kitchen, and they, Hermione, and Ginny set off along the narrow hallway and up the rickety staircase that zigzagged through the house to the upper stories.**

"**What are Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Harry asked as they climbed.**

Molly groaned at that, wishing that he wouldn't have asked that, but knowing that it really was too much to hope for that to happen.

**Ron and Ginny both laughed, although Hermione didn't.**

"What's the matter Hermione, you don't like the idea of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Fred asked.

"Seeing as I don't even know what that means, I can't answer that question." Hermione said.

"**Mum found this stack of order forms when she was cleaning Fred and George's room," said Ron quietly. "Great long price lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake wands and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, I never knew they'd been inventing all that…"**

"**We've been hearing explosions out of their room for ages, but we never thought they were actually making things," said Ginny. "We thought they just liked the noise."**

Everyone laughed at this as the twins conformed that they did like the noise, but mostly they were trying to accomplish something at the same time. Molly didn't seemed to be too thrilled by that comment, muttered something like '_and you call this accomplishing something_' under her breath before she started reading again.

"**Only, most of the stuff - well, all of it, really - was a bit dangerous," said Ron,**

"Ron …. how dare you?!" Fred gasped. "You're taking Mum's side."

"No," Ron said, shaking his head. "I'm just telling the truth …. I still think it's brilliant."

**"and, you know, they were planning to sell it at Hogwarts to make some money,**

"Brilliant!" Sirius exclaimed, wishing that the twins were in his year, he knew that they would have come up with something really good.

"It's dangerous!" Molly shouted. "You can't sell these things at Hogwarts! Especially when you don't know how everyone is going to react to them!"

**and Mum went mad at them. Told them they weren't allowed to make any more of it, and burned all the order forms … She's furious at them anyway. They didn't get as many O.W.L.s as she expected."**

Molly was slightly embarrassed by her son saying that but it was the truth. She knew that the twins could have done better than getting three O.W.L's each.

**O.W.L.s were Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the examinations Hogwarts students took at the age of fifteen.**

"Actually, most of the people that take the O.W.L.s are sixteen by the time they take them," Percy said.

"You know you weren't," Bill pointed out to his brother.

Percy rolled his eyes but went on like he didn't hear his eldest brother, "I'm just saying that most people have their birthday in their fifth year before they take their exams and therefore are sixteen at the time."

"**And then there was this big row," Ginny said, "because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop."**

"Merlin, that would be amazing!" Sirius exclaimed. "Judging by your toffee you'd really do well."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Molly huffed. "A joke shop is not …."

"Actually, I think it might be a good job for them," Remus said looking thoughtful, and held up his hand when Molly turned on him. "I know that it's not as prodigious as working at the Ministry, but not everyone is made to work there …"

"I know that," Molly said looking at Bill and thinking about Charlie. "But a joke shop is such a risky job!"

"Even more risky than taming dragons?" Fred said rolling his eyes.

"That's not the kind of risk I'm talking about," Molly frowned. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to open your own business and actually get people to go to your shop?! Especially a novelty store like a joke shop, you would always have to be coming up with something new or people would lose interest in going to your shop!"

"Is that what you're worried about?" George asked looking surprised. "It's not that you think our products are dangerous …."

"They are dangerous!" Molly corrected. "Do you realize how much trouble you would get in if something you invented actually turned out to be harmful to someone!"

"Mum, we've tested our products hundreds of times!" Fred said. "You might think that we're reckless, but we're not about to put our name on something that we think would hurt someone …. at least not seriously. Mum, this isn't just some whim that we just came up with!"

"We've been wanting to do this since we started at Hogwarts!" George added. "This is our dream!"

Molly frowned at this and said, "that's only going to make it worst if this doesn't work out for you."

"You don't really have to worry about that," Teddy said with a smile. "The shop is still running strong in my time …."

"You couldn't have said that sooner?!" Fred asked with a proud smile.

"I just thought it was best to let G …. er …. M …." Teddy started, but he wasn't sure what he was supposed to call Molly anymore. He had always called her Grandma Molly, just like he had always called the rest of the Weasleys Aunt and Uncle, but he wasn't sure how they would take him calling them that way. Seeing that everyone was looking at him he nodded his head towards Molly and said, "you needed to hear what she had to say."

"I suppose," George said, looking at his mum. "It's good to know that at least part of her is only being so hard on us because she's worried."

"I'm still worried," Molly grumbled. "And no matter what you do I'm always going to be worried about you."

**Just then a door on the second landing opened, and a face poked out wearing horn-rimmed glasses and a very annoyed expression.**

"**Hi, Percy," said Harry.**

"**Oh hello, Harry," said Percy. "I was wondering who was making all the noise. I'm trying to work in here, you know I've got a report to finish for the office – and it's rather difficult to concentrate when people keep thundering up and down the stairs."**

"Came on Perce, couldn't you be a little friendlier," Bill sighed.

"You know I'm very irritable when I'm working," Percy said stiffly.

"**We're not thundering, "said Ron irritably. "We're walking. Sorry if we've disturbed the top-secret workings of the Ministry of Magic." '**

"**What are you working on?" said Harry.**

"Argh!" Ron and the twins groaned and Molly gave them a sharp look before she smiled at Harry, he really was a considerate boy; something her own sons don't seem to be.

"**A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation," said Percy smugly. "We're trying to standardize cauldron thickness. Some of these foreign imports are just a shade too thin - leakages have been increasing at a rate of almost three percent a year -"**

"**That'll change the world, that report will," said Ron. "Front page of the Daily Prophet, I expect, cauldron leaks."**

"Ronald!" Molly reprimanded as his siblings sniggered.

**Percy went slightly pink.**

"**You might sneer, Ron," he said heatedly, "but unless some sort of international law is imposed we might well find the market flooded with flimsy, shallow bottomed products that seriously endanger -"**

The twins continued to snigger at this, not believing that their brother was so worked up about cauldron bottoms.

"**Yeah, yeah, all right," said Ron, and he started off upstairs again. Percy slammed his bedroom door shut. As Harry, Hermione, and Ginny followed Ron up three more flights of stairs, shouts from the kitchen below echoed up to them. It sounded as though Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Weasley about the toffees. The room at the top of the house where Ron slept looked much as it had the last time that Harry had come to stay: the same posters of Ron's favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, were whirling and waving on the walls and sloping ceiling, and the fish tank on the windowsill, which had previously held frog spawn, now contained one extremely large frog. Ron's old rat, Scabbers, was here no more,**

Sirius started muttering threats and curses under his breath at the thought of that rat as Remus's jaw clinched menacingly.

Arthur was grimacing too, remembering that Ron had said that Scabbers had in fact been Peter Pettigrew, a man that they had just learned had committed terrible crimes. He found it hard to handle that they had been harboring a criminal in their house for years.

**but instead there was the tiny gray owl that had delivered Ron's letter to Harry in Privet Drive. It was hopping up and down in a small cage and twittering madly.**

"**Shut up, Pig," said Ron, edging his way between two of the four beds that had been squeezed into the room. "Fred and George are in here with us, because Bill and Charlie are in their room," he told Harry.**

"Where did Bill and Charlie sleep when they still lived at home?" Harry asked.

"We shared the room that Percy has now," Bill answered.

"Yeah, and Percy share with me," Ron added, making a face. "That was until Charlie went to Hogwarts too and then for most of the time Percy took over that room and we only had to share when Bill and Charlie were on vacation."

**"Percy gets to keep his room all to himself because he's got to work."**

"**Er - why are you calling that owl Pig?" Harry asked Ron.**

"Because he eats as much as Ron does, and there nothing else you can call an owl that eats that much," Fred suggested with a chuckle.

Ron rolled his eyes, they had already discussed this.

"**Because he's being stupid," said Ginny, "Its proper name is Pigwidgeon."**

"**Yeah, and that's not a stupid name at all," said Ron sarcastically.**

"It's not," Ginny rolled her eyes this time.

**"Ginny named him," he explained to Harry. "She reckons it's sweet. And I tried to change it, but it was too late, he won't answer to anything else. So now he's Pig. I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes. He annoys me too, come to that."**

**Pigwidgeon zoomed happily around his cage, hooting shrilly. Harry knew Ron too well to take him seriously. He had moaned continually about his old rat, Scabbers, but had been most upset when Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, appeared to have eaten him.**

Everyone chuckled at this as Ron's ears turned pink.

"Are you sure he wasn't just upset because he likes to argue with Hermione?" Ginny teased causing both Ron and Hermione to blush.

"I don't like arguing with Hermione," Ron grumbled.

"You could have fooled me," Harry sighed, his friends seem to do nothing but argue.

"And that's not about to change any time soon," Teddy chuckled, thinking both of the stories he's heard of their years at Hogwarts and of his own memories.

"**Where's Crookshanks?" Harry asked Hermione now.**

"**Out in the garden, I expect," she said. "He likes chasing gnomes. He's never seen any before."**

"**Percy's enjoying work, then?" said Harry, sitting down on one of the beds and watching the Chudley Cannons zooming in and out of the posters on the ceiling.**

"**Enjoying it?" said Ron darkly. "I don't reckon he'd come home if Dad didn't make him.**

Arthur actually chuckled at this, knowing that he did have to force Percy to come home a few times.

**He's obsessed. Just don't get him onto the subject of his boss. According to Mr. Crouch…**

"Crouch!" Sirius growled.

"What do you have against Mr. Crouch?" Percy asked sharply immediately being defensive of his boss.

"He's the one that sent me to Azkaban!" Sirius snarled.

"That is unfortunate, but seeing as even your best friend …." Percy continued in the defense of his boss, and Remus bowed his head at the reminder of his lack of faith in his friend.

"Without a trial!" Sirius snapped. "The jerk didn't even give me a chance to defend myself! He just threw me to the dementors!"

"Er …." Percy had nothing to say to that.

"He did what!?" Harry exclaimed.

"Is that even legal?!" Duncan asked looking appalled. "Surely you're entitled to be represented in the court of law!"

"They thought my crimes were so horrendous that they didn't think I was worthy of a trial," Sirius said darkly.

"I'm sorry Sirius, I should have made them have a trial," Remus bowed his head farther.

Sirius looked sharply at his friend before sighing, "You had just lost James, Lily and …. what you thought was another one of your friends …." Sirius choked at saying Peter's name, unable to articulate it, " …. I understand why you wouldn't want that …."

"Still …." Remus groaned, "if there was …. maybe you won't have …."

"Remus just don't," Sirius cut his friend off. "We have suffered through too much crap to go over what we should have done …."

Harry didn't say anything to this, not wanting to make anyone feel worse, but he wished that Sirius had his trial …. that he had been found innocent. That way Harry might actually have been raised by his godfather and though his life would still have been filled with danger at least he would have been raised by someone that cared about him.

**as I was saying to Mr. Crouch … Mr. Crouch is of the opinion … Mr. Crouch was telling me … They'll be announcing their engagement any day now."**

This normally would have had several people laughing but as of right now, none of them were in the mood after what they heard about Sirius. Percy however, decided that though it wasn't the right thing to do, Mr. Crouch had proven to be an excellent head of his department and he wasn't going to change his high opinion of his boss.

"**Have you had a good summer, Harry?" said Hermione. "Did you get our food parcels and everything?"**

"**Yeah, thanks a lot," said Harry. "They saved my life, those cakes."**

Everyone grimace at the reminder of how truly bad Harry's situation at the Dursleys was.

"**And have you heard from -?" Ron began, but at a look from Hermione he fell silent. Harry knew Ron had been about to ask about Sirius.**

"Why did you stop him?" Sirius asked.

"Because I'm there," Ginny mumbled, she was wondering what she would have done if she knew that Harry was in contact with a supposed mass murderer.

"As long as Harry told you that he knew Sirius was innocent, I'm sure you would have kept his secret," Neville said to Ginny, noticing her frown. "At least that's what I would have done."

"You're probably right," Ginny smiled at him.

**Ron and Hermione had been so deeply involved in helping Sirius escape from the Ministry of Magic that they were almost as concerned about Harry's godfather as he was. However, discussing him in front of Ginny was a bad idea. Nobody but themselves and Professor Dumbledore knew about how Sirius had escaped, or believed in his innocence.**

"Again, I knew!" Remus pouted.

"Sorry, P – Remus," Harry chuckled.

"**I think they've stopped arguing," said Hermione, to cover the awkward moment, because Ginny was looking curiously from Ron to Harry. "Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?"**

"**Yeah, all right," said Ron. The four of them left Ron's room and went back downstairs to find Mrs. Weasley alone in the kitchen, looking extremely bad-tempered.**

"**We're eating out in the garden," she said when they came in. "There's just not room for eleven people in here. Could you take the plates outside, girls? Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two," she said to Ron and Harry, pointing her wand a little more vigorously than she had intended at a pile of potatoes in the sink, which shot out of their skins so fast that they ricocheted off the walls and ceiling.**

Fred and George grimaced at that, their mum must have really let them have it if she was still that upset.

"**Oh for heaven's sake," she snapped, now directing her wand at a dustpan, which hopped off the sideboard and started skating across the floor, scooping up the potatoes. "Those two!" she burst out savagely, now pulling pots and pans out of a cupboard, and Harry knew she meant Fred and George. "I don't know what's going to happen to them, I really don't. No ambition, unless you count making as much trouble as they possibly can …"**

"I've always found that they had more ambition than anyone," Teddy said thoughtfully. "It takes a lot of nerve to start your own shop."

Molly frowned at that but continued reading.

**Mrs. Weasley slammed a large copper saucepan down on the kitchen table and began to wave her wand around inside it. A creamy sauce poured from the wand tip as she stirred.**

"**It's not as though they haven't got brains," she continued irritably, taking the saucepan over to the stove and lighting it with a further poke of her wand, "but they're wasting them, and unless they pull themselves together soon, they'll be in real trouble. I've had more owls from Hogwarts about them than the rest put together.**

"Really, I always thought that Uncle Ron would have gotten in just as much trouble," Teddy said thoughtfully to himself but the others heard him.

"And just how much trouble do you get into Ronald?" Molly questioned.

"Er …." was all Ron could say to that, as he shot Teddy a glare.

"I was just wondering Teddy …. why did you call him Uncle Ron?" Juliet asked. "Are you a Weasley?"

"Oh!" Teddy said rubbing the back of his head. "Not by blood, but they did sort of take me in after my parents died …."

This caused several people to look at him sadly as Molly got up and gave the boy one of her bone crushing hugs, now knowing that it was okay to do so because he was part of her family.

"Well, at least you had a good family to look after you," Harry said trying to smile; he hated that this other boy knew what it was like not to know his parents.

"I know I am," Teddy smiled back at Harry.

"You know, if I do recall, you called Hermione, Aunt Mione in the last chapter," Fred said thoughtfully.

"I do believe you're right about that, dear brother," George sniggered.

"Now why would you call her that I wonder?" Fred mused.

"Does that mean that Hermione might become a Weasley?" George added as Hermione blushed, trying her hardest not to look at Ron.

For his part, Ron's ears turned red and he was feeling very uncomfortable, but he couldn't really explain why. Molly and Juliet were smiling at the thought of that as Duncan was glaring at each of the Weasleys boys in the room, not ready to hear that his daughter would belong to another boy just yet.

"Hermione would always be my aunt, it doesn't matter who she's married to," Teddy laughed.

"You noticed how he didn't deny that she's a Weasley now," Bill pointed out to everyone, causing mostly laughter to fill the room, though some people just blushed more.

"That sounded like something you would have said," Sirius said through his own laughter, looking at Remus. They didn't notice Teddy's pleased expression upon hearing that.

**If they carry on the way they're going, they'll end up in front of the Improper Use of Magic Office."**

"Oh dear," Molly groaned, that was something she really had to worry about.

"It hasn't happened yet," Teddy assured her.

**Mrs. Weasley jabbed her wand at the cutlery drawer, which shot open. Harry and Ron both jumped out of the way as several knives soared out of it, flew across the kitchen, and began chopping the potatoes, which had just been tipped back into the sink by the dustpan.**

"**I don't know where we went wrong with them," said Mrs. Weasley,**

The twin frowned at that being hurt that she thought she had gone wrong with them.

"Sorry, boys," Molly sighed, feeling slightly ashamed of saying that.

**putting down her wand and starting to pull out still more saucepans. "It's been the same for years, one thing after another, and they won't listen to - OH NOT AGAIN!"**

**She had picked up her wand from the table, and it had emitted a loud squeak and turned into a giant rubber mouse. "One of their fake wands again!" she shouted. "How many times have I told them not to leave them lying around?"**

Sirius and Remus both laughed at this.

**She grabbed her real wand and turned around to find that the sauce on the stove was smoking.**

"**C'mon," Ron said hurriedly to Harry, seizing a handful of cutlery from the open drawer, "let's go and help Bill and Charlie."**

**They left Mrs. Weasley and headed out the back door into the yard.**

**They had only gone a few paces when Hermione's bandy-legged ginger cat, Crookshanks, came pelting out of the garden, bottle-brush tail held high in the air, chasing what looked like a muddy potato on legs. Harry recognized it instantly as a gnome. Barely ten inches high, its horny little feet pattered very fast as it sprinted across the yard and dived headlong into one of the Wellington boots that lay scattered around the door.**

"Hm …. I never would have thought gnomes would look like that," Duncan muttered.

"Really? What did you think gnomes looked like?" Arthur questioned excitedly.

"Like little fat man, sort of like Santa Clause," Duncan shrugged. "It's what our garden gnomes look like."

**Harry could hear the gnome giggling madly as Crookshanks inserted a paw into the boot, trying to reach it. Meanwhile, a very loud crashing noise was coming from the other side of the house. The source of the commotion was revealed as they entered the garden, and saw that Bill and Charlie both had their wands out, and were making two battered old tables fly high above the lawn, smashing into each other, each attempting to knock the other's out of the air.**

Molly's voice was colored with disapproval as she read this. "Do you really have to do that with the good tables?"

"Sorry Mum," Bill sighed.

**Fred and George were cheering, Ginny was laughing, and Hermione was hovering near the hedge, apparently torn between amusement and anxiety. Bill's table caught Charlie's with a huge bang and knocked one of its legs off.**

"Nice one Bill!" the twins cheered and their mum glared at all three of them.

**There was a clatter from overhead, and they all looked up to see Percy's head poking out of a window on the second floor.**

"**Will you keep it down?" he bellowed.**

"**Sorry, Perce," said Bill, grinning. "How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?"**

"**Very badly," said Percy peevishly, and he slammed the window shut. Chuckling, Bill and Charlie directed the tables safely onto the grass, end to end, and then, with a flick of his wand, Bill reattached the table leg and conjured tablecloths from nowhere.**

**By seven o'clock, the two tables were groaning under dishes and dishes of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking, and the nine Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were settling themselves down to eat beneath a clear, deep-blue sky. To somebody who had been living on meals of increasingly stale cake all summer, this was paradise, and at first, Harry listened rather than talked as he helped himself to chicken and ham pie, boiled potatoes, and salad.**

"That sounds delicious," Sirius smacked his lips together.

"Sirius you just ate," Tonks said to him.

"I know, but I've been living off hardly anything for years …. it makes one hungry all the time," Sirius shrugged.

"Maybe I could make a snack after this chapter is done," Molly said softly, not liking how skinny Sirius was and knowing that he wasn't the only one that could probably do with some feeding up.

**At the far end of the table, Percy was telling his father all about his report on cauldron bottoms.**

"**I've told Mr. Crouch that I'll have it ready by Tuesday," Percy was saying pompously. "That's a bit sooner than he expected it, but I like to keep on top of things. I think he'll be grateful I've ****done it in good time, I mean, its extremely busy in our department just now, what with all the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Ludo Bagman -"**

"Is the best Beater that England had seen in years!" Sirius exclaimed; the man was his idol, after all.

"**I like Ludo," said Mr. Weasley mildly. "He was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup. I did him a bit of a favor: His brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble - a lawnmower with unnatural powers - I smoothed the whole thing over."**

"I'm not sure that's the best way of doing thing," Duncan said. "Doing favors for one another …."

Arthur sighed, "it wasn't exactly like that. I just helped Otto out because it was clear that he wasn't trying to harm anyone …. he just wanted his lawnmower to work better. They were actually going to take him to Azkaban because he wouldn't have been able to pay the fine …. Anyway, I would have helped Otto out even if Ludo didn't give me anything …. it was just the right thing to do."

"**Oh Bagman's likable enough, of course," said Percy dismissively, "but how he ever got to be Head of Department… when I compare him to Mr. Crouch! I can't see Mr. Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Bertha Jorkins has been missing for over a month now?**

Everyone got uncomfortable at the mention of Bertha, knowing what had become of her.

**Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?"**

"**Yes, I was asking Ludo about that," said Mr. Weasley, frowning. "He says Bertha's gotten lost plenty of times before now - though must say, if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried…"**

"**Oh Bertha's hopeless, all right," said Percy. "I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years, much more trouble than she's worth… but all the same, Bagman ought to be trying to find her. Mr. Crouch has been taking a personal interest, she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her - but Bagman just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania. However" - Percy heaved an impressive sigh and took a deep swig of elderflower wine - "we've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Cooperation without trying to find members of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup."**

**Percy cleared his throat significantly and looked down toward the end of the table where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting. "You know the one I'm talking about, Father." He raised his voice slightly. "The top-secret one."**

Arthur frowned at this, knowing why his son would bring this up.

**Ron rolled his eyes and muttered to Harry and Hermione, "He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work. Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons."**

Percy frowned at his brother, trying to look indignant.

**In the middle of the table, Mrs. Weasley was arguing with Bill about his earring, which seemed to be a recent acquisition.**

"… **with a horrible great fang on it. Really, Bill, what do they say at the bank?"**

Bill just rolled his eyes at this, his mum has yet to make a comment about the earring to him, but he figured that was because he has only been home for a few hours before they got transported here.

"**Mum, no one at the bank gives a damn how I dress as long as I bring home plenty of treasure," said Bill patiently.**

"**And your hair's getting silly, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, fingering her wand lovingly." I wish you'd let me give it a trim …"**

"**I like it," said Ginny, who was sitting beside Bill. "You're so old-fashioned, Mum. Anyway, it's nowhere near as long as Professor Dumbledore's…" Next to Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, and Charlie were all talking spiritedly about the World Cup.**

"**It's got to be Ireland," said Charlie thickly, through a mouthful of potato. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."**

"**Bulgaria has got Viktor Krum, though," said Fred.**

"**Krum's one decent player,**

"He's more than decent! He's brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.

Teddy had trouble not laughing at that; the Krum issue was legendary in the Weasley household.

**Ireland has got seven," said Charlie shortly. "I wish England had got through. That was embarrassing, that was."**

Everyone groaned at that, as they remembered the game.

"**What happened?" said Harry eagerly, regretting more than ever his isolation from the wizarding world when he was stuck on Privet Drive.**

"**Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," said Charlie gloomily. "Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg."**

**Harry had been on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team ever since his first year at Hogwarts and owned one of the best racing brooms in the world, a Firebolt. Flying came more naturally to Harry than anything else in the magical world, and he played in the position of Seeker on the Gryffindor House team.**

"Enough bragging Harry, get on with the story!" Fred said.

**Mr. Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their homemade strawberry ice cream, and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle. Harry was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world as he watched several gnomes sprinting through the rosebushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Crookshanks.**

**Ron looked carefully up the table to check that the rest of the family were all busy talking, then he said very quietly to Harry, "So - have you heard from Sirius lately?"**

"I'm not sure that's the best place to talk about that," Remus frowned.

"He's right, if we were to overhear you it wouldn't be good," Arthur added with a frowned. "I'm not sure how I would react to this news, but unless you really convince me, I would feel honor bond to inform the Ministry of this."

**Hermione looked around, listening closely.**

"**Yeah," said Harry softly, "twice. He sounds okay. I wrote to him yesterday. He might write back while I'm here."**

**He suddenly remembered the reason he had written to Sirius, and for a moment was on the verge of telling Ron and Hermione about his scar hurting again, and about the dream that had awoken him… but he really didn't want to worry them just now, not when he himself was feeling so happy and peaceful.**

"We would prefer that you worry us Harry," Hermione frowned.

"Obviously I have convinced myself that it's just a dream at this point," Harry said.

"**Look at the time," Mrs. Weasley said suddenly, checking her wristwatch. "You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley.**

"Why do you even need that?" Tonks said. "It would be the same as Ron's school list wouldn't it?"

"I suppose so," Molly shrugged.

**I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time."**

"**Wow - hope it does this time!" said Harry enthusiastically.**

"Actually it's not as cool as it sounds," Sirius said. "Though that might have been because the teams that were playing both sucked so much …. it wasn't a very good game."

"**Well, I certainly don't," said Percy sanctimoniously. "I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."**

"**Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" said Fred.**

Everyone laughed at this.

"**That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" said Percy, going very red in the face. "It was nothing personal!"**

"**It was," Fred whispered to Harry as they got up from the table. "We sent it."**

"What?" Percy glared at the twins as they laughed hard.

"Boys! That's very irresponsible of you!" Arthur was the one to say. "You should not bother Percy at work."

"That was the end of the chapter," Molly said glaring at the twins as well.

"I think I'll read next," Bill said taking the book from his mum.

Molly got up at this point, shooting one last glare at the twins and then went to the kitchen to make a snack for everyone. She burned her anger off as she cooked and by the time she came back with sandwiches she was in a much better mood. Sirius, Ron and Teddy all took a sandwich immediately, happily eating the snack.


	7. The Portkey

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Seven

The Portkey

"**The Portkey," **Bill read.

**Harry felt as though he had barely lain down to steep in Ron's room when he was being shaken awake by Mrs. Weasley.**

"**Time to go, Harry, dear," she whispered, moving away to wake Ron.**

**Harry felt around for his glasses, put them on, and sat up. It was still dark outside.**

Harry frowned at getting up that early.

"When you said early you really meant it," Juliet said.

"Yeah, but it will be worth it," Arthur smiled at her.

"I know what you mean …. I remember waking up at four in the morning for the England/ German game the last time the World Cup was in England …." Duncan said and then when everyone looked at him oddly he added, "I'm talking about the Football World Cup."

"Oh," Ron said thinking about the poster that Dean had in their room. "I never realize that Football was that big for muggles."

"It's just as big for the muggles as Quidditch is for you," Hermione told him.

**Ron muttered indistinctly as his mother roused him. At the foot of Harry's mattress he saw two large, disheveled shapes emerging from tangles of blankets.**

"'**S' time already?" said Fred groggily.**

**They dressed in silence, too sleepy to talk, then, yawning and stretching, the four of them headed downstairs into the kitchen.**

**Mrs. Weasley was stirring the contents of a large pot on the stove, while Mr. Weasley was sitting at the table, checking a sheaf of large parchment tickets. He looked up as the boys entered and spread his arms so that they could see his clothes more clearly. He was wearing what appeared to be a golfing sweater and a very old pair of jeans, slightly too big for him and held up with a thick leather belt.**

"**What d'you think?" he asked anxiously. "We're supposed to go incognito - do I look like a Muggle, Harry?"**

Bill's voice was filled with amusement as he could picture how excited his dad would get about this. Molly on the other hand was looking exasperated.

"It sounds pretty good," Juliet answered with a smile.

"**Yeah," said Harry, smiling, "very good."**

"**Where're Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-Percy?" said George, failing to stifle a huge yawn.**

"Are you sure of that Harry, I think I always called him Per-Per-Percy." George interjected, frowning.

"**Well, they're Apparating, aren't they?" said Mrs. Weasley, heaving the large pot over to the table and starting to ladle porridge into bowls. "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."**

"That's so not fair," Ron groaned, he was always more irritable when he didn't get enough sleep and wasn't looking forward to having to do it for the cup. "They should have to wake up early too."

"Did anyone ever tell you that life isn't fair," Bill sniggered as Ron made a face at him.

**Harry knew that Apparating meant disappearing from one place and reappearing almost instantly in another, but had never known any Hogwarts student to do it, and understood that it was very difficult.**

"It's not really that difficult," Bill countered, "you just have to have good concentration."

"**So they're still in bed?" said Fred grumpily, pulling his bowl of porridge toward him. "Why can't we Apparate too?"**

"**Because you're not of age and you haven't passed your test," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "And where have those girls got to?"**

**She bustled out of the kitchen and they heard her climbing the stairs.**

"**You have to pass a test to Apparate?" Harry asked.**

"What? Did you think they would just let anyone Apparate without proving they can handle it?" Percy admonished, shaking his head. "It might not be that difficult once you have mastered the skill, but it can be dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Yes," Percy nodded his head and was about to explain all the ways that Apparating could be dangerous, but Bill started reading before he had the chance.

"**Oh yes," said Mr. Weasley, tucking the tickets safely into the back pocket of his jeans. "The Department of Magical Transportation had to fine a couple of people the other day for Apparating without a license. It's not easy, Apparition, and when it's not done property it can lead to nasty complications. This pair I'm talking about went and splinched themselves."**

"Oh dear, I hope they're okay," Molly fretted.

"What does splinched mean?" Juliet asked nervously.

"The book will explain," Bill replied before Percy, Hermione or Remus could say anything.

**Everyone around the table except Harry winced.**

"**Er - splinched?" said Harry.**

"**They left half of themselves behind,"**

Harry and the Grangers now were the ones wincing at that.

**said Mr. Weasley, now spooning large amounts of treacle onto his porridge. "So, of course, they were stuck. Couldn't move either way. Had to wait for the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to sort them out. Meant a fair old bit of paperwork, I can tell you, what with the Muggles who spotted the body parts they'd left behind…"**

**Harry had a sudden vision of a pair of legs and an eyeball lying abandoned on the pavement of Privet Drive.**

Fred and George laughed at that, thinking the image would be comical, but others looked sickened as they thought of it in a more realistic way.

"**Were they okay?" he asked, startled.**

"**Oh yes," said Mr. Weasley matter-of-factly. "But they got a heavy fine, and I don't think they'll be trying it again in a hurry. You don't mess around with Apparition. There are plenty of adult wizards who don't bother with it. Prefer brooms - slower, but safer."**

"**But Bill and Charlie and Percy can all do it?"**

"**Charlie had to take the test twice," said Fred, grinning. "He failed the first time. Apparated five miles south of where he meant to, right on top of some poor old dear doing her shopping, remember?"**

All the younger Weasleys laughed at that memory.

"It's not funny, that poor woman was hurt pretty badly," Molly scolded.

"**Yes, well, he passed the second time," said Mrs. Weasley, marching back into the kitchen amid hearty sniggers.**

"**Percy only passed two weeks ago," said George. "He's been Apparating downstairs every morning since, just to prove he can."**

"That's not why I do that," Percy rolled his eyes.

"Sure it's not," Bill chuckled, remembering that he did the same thing when he passed the test.

"No, I do it because it's the quickest way downstairs," Percy said, and only part of that was a lie.

"Of course … and you can't waste time walking," Bill laughed harder as Percy scowled at him.

**There were footsteps down the passageway and Hermione and Ginny came into the kitchen, both looking pale and drowsy.**

"**Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes and sitting down at the table.**

"**We've got a bit of a walk," said Mr. Weasley.**

"**Walk?" said Harry. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"**

"Of course not, we would have to start walking now if we wanted to get there in time if that were the case," Ron explained to his friend.

"**No, no, that's miles away," said Mr. Weasley, smiling. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup…"**

"**George!" said Mrs. Weasley sharply, and they all jumped.**

Molly was already glaring at her son, wondering what he was doing.

"**What?" said George, in an innocent tone that deceived nobody.**

"I really need to get a new innocent tone," George sighed.

"Maybe you should use a tone that will make you sound guilty…. that might throw her off," Sirius suggested.

"That didn't work for you when you tried it with McGonagall, so I doubt it will be any use to pass that advise on," Remus rolled his eyes.

"**What is that in your pocket?"**

"**Nothing!"**

"**Don't you lie to me!"**

**Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at George's pocket and said, "Accio!"**

**Several small, brightly colored objects zoomed out of George's pocket; he made a grab for them but missed, and they sped right into Mrs. Weasley's outstretched hand.**

"**We told you to destroy them!" said Mrs. Weasley furiously, holding up what were unmistakably more Ton-Tongue Toffees. "We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!"**

The twins groaned as Fred's glare at his brother clearly said that he should have hidden the candy better than he had.

**It was an unpleasant scene; the twins had evidently been trying to smuggle as many toffees out of the house as possible, and it was only by using her Summoning Charm that Mrs. Weasley managed to find them all.**

"**Accio! Accio! Accio!" she shouted, and toffees zoomed from all sorts of unlikely places, including the lining of George's jacket and the turn-ups of Fred's jeans.**

"**We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted at his mother as she threw the toffees away.**

"**Oh a fine way to spend six months!" she shrieked. "No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"**

"Boys I understand that this is something that I'm not going to be able to deter you from doing," Molly sighed. "And that this wasn't just a waste of your time …." she added in an unconvincing tone, "but I would appreciate it if you tried harder at school. You might not think it's important, but you never know how useful your lessons are until you finish them."

"We'll try, Mum," the twin replied in unison.

**All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly as they took their departure. Mrs. Weasley was still glowering as she kissed Mr. Weasley on the cheek, though not nearly as much as the twins, who had each hoisted their rucksacks onto their backs and walked out without a word to her.**

"**Well, have a lovely time," said Mrs. Weasley, "and behave yourselves," she called after the twins' retreating backs, but they did not look back or answer. "I'll send Bill, Charlie, and Percy along around midday," Mrs. Weasley said to Mr. Weasley, as he, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and ****Ginny set off across the dark yard after Fred and George.**

**It was chilly and the moon was still out. Only a dull, greenish tinge along the horizon to their right showed that daybreak was drawing closer. Harry, having been thinking about thousands of wizards speeding toward the Quidditch World Cup, sped up to walk with Mr. Weasley.**

"**So how does everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" he asked.**

"**It's been a massive organizational problem," sighed Mr. Weasley. "The trouble is, about a hundred thousand wizards turn up at the World Cup, and of course, we just haven't got a magical site big enough to accommodate them all. There are places Muggles can't penetrate, but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or platform nine and three-quarters. So we had to find a nice deserted moor, and set up as many anti-Muggle precautions as possible. The whole Ministry's been working on it for months. First, of course, we have to stagger the arrivals. People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand. A limited number use Muggle transport, but we can't have too many clogging up their buses and trains - remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point. For those who don't want to Apparate, or can't, we use Portkeys."**

"Wow, it seems like you have to go through a lot to organize this," Duncan stated, impressed.

"Yeah, but it's worth it in the end," Arthur smiled.

"**They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. You can do large groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain, and the nearest one to us is up at the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed."**

"We have to walk all the way there!" Ron groaned.

"Sorry Ron, it's the closet Portkey to us," Arthur sighed.

**Mr. Weasley pointed ahead of them, where a large black mass rose beyond the village of Ottery St. Catchpole.**

"**What sort of objects are Portkeys?" said Harry curiously.**

"**Well, they can be anything," said Mr. Weasley. "Unobtrusive things, obviously, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them… stuff they'll just think is litter…"**

**They trudged down the dark, dank lane toward the village, the silence broken only by their footsteps. The sky lightened very slowly as they made their way through the village, its inky blackness diluting to deepest blue. Harry's hands and feet were freezing. Mr. Weasley kept checking his watch.**

**They didn't have breath to spare for talking as they began to climb Stoatshead Hill, stumbling occasionally in hidden rabbit holes, slipping on thick black tuffets of grass. Each breath Harry took was sharp in his chest and his legs were starting to seize up when, at last, his feet found level ground.**

"**Whew," panted Mr. Weasley, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his sweater. "Well, we've made good time - we've got ten minutes."**

**Hermione came over the crest of the hill last, clutching a stitch in her side.**

"There was no need for you to notice that," Hermione grumbled as Harry chuckled.

"**Now we just need the Portkey," said Mr. Weasley, replacing his glasses and squinting around at the ground. "It won't be big… Come on…"**

**They spread out, searching. They had only been at it for a couple of minutes, however, when a shout rent the still air.**

"**Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it."**

**Two tall figures were silhouetted against the starry sky on the other side of the hilltop.**

"**Amos!" said Mr. Weasley, smiling as he strode over to the man who had shouted. The rest of them followed.**

**Mr. Weasley was shaking hands with a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding a moldy-looking old boot in his other hand.**

"I take it the boot is the Portkey," Juliet commented. "You're right; I wouldn't want to pick that thing up if I could help it."

"I have a question though," Duncan said. "Would we be able to be transported by the Portkey too, or do you need to have magic for it to work?"

"It would work on anyone," Remus answered, "that's why it's so important to make sure no muggle would want to use it or pick it up."

"**This is Amos Diggory, everyone," said Mr. Weasley. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"**

"Yeah, we might know him," Fred grumbled.

Arthur looked at his son oddly, not knowing why he would act this way.

**Cedric Diggory was an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen. He was Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff House Quidditch team at Hogwarts. "Hi," said Cedric, looking around at them all. Everybody said hi back except Fred and George, who merely nodded. They had never quite forgiven Cedric for beating their team, Gryffindor, in the first Quidditch match of the previous year.**

"Boys, that's no reason to be rude," Molly reprimanded.

"It wasn't really his fault anyway," Harry added, though of course he hated what had happened, too.

"If anything it's this git's fault," Ron said, nodding his head at Draco who had been trying to keep as quite as possible in this room full of his enemies.

"Yeah, we are angry with him too, but considering his team wasn't able to do anything against us, it all worked out in the end," Fred smirked as Draco glared at him.

"Still, I wonder how this Cedric guy is in Hufflepuff, he sounds like he might actually be good," Sirius interjected.

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Tonks asked dangerously and Sirius blinked at her.

"Just that Hufflepuff usually has average players…. they tend to work well together and can be a good team, but no one usually sticks out like this," Sirius explained.

"I'll give you average," Tonks grumbled as she continued to glare at him, her hand reaching for her wand.

"Tonks, he doesn't know what he's talking about," Bill said looking amused, remembering the number of times Charlie had been cursed because he poked fun of the Hufflepuff being average to her.

"Er …. am I missing something?" Sirius asked.

"Isn't it obvious," Hermione stated. "Tonks must be a Hufflepuff."

"Oh," Sirius replied, looking shock by this information. "Really…. but you seem like a Gryffindor!"

"Hmph…. all you Gryffindors always thinking that your house is the best and no one could be brave or funny unless they're in that house," Tonks grumbled more, her hair turning red as she got angrier. "And I'll have you know, I was considered the best Beater of my year when it came to Quidditch."

"As if…. we were better Beaters than you were!" the twins said at the same time.

"You guys are pretty good," Tonks admitted to them. "Even if we only got to play against each other once …. I have a feeling that you would make a pretty destructive duo."

"Thanks!" they beamed at her as Molly frowned at them.

"Did you beat Gryffindor?" Sirius asked frowning.

"No…. but only because Charlie would always catch the bloody snitch," Tonks huffed.

"He was annoying like that wasn't he," Bill chuckled. "Of course I didn't really like it when you hit me with the bludger…. I found that a bit more annoying."

"Like I was going to let you score," Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Well, I must apologize to you Bill, I'm the one that taught Tonks everything she knows," Sirius sighed.

"As if," Tonks shook her head.

"Come on, don't you remembering me coming over on the weekends and teaching you how to hold the beaters bat and how I would send fake bludgers at you….? You would knock them out of the yard," Sirius said smiling at the memory. "And now I hear that you used that gift to make the Hufflepuff better…."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Tonks glared at him again, but she was smiling at the memory too, she had only been five at the time that Sirius was talking about but she still remembered what he had taught her.

"I know," Sirius smiled at her. "I'm just surprised…. I thought for sure you were a Gryffindor…. but as long as you're not a Slytherin it doesn't matter what house you're in."

"**Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father asked.**

"**Not too bad," said Mr. Weasley. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"**

"**Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced?**

"Oh…. I guess it could have been worse," Ron said, looking shocked that anyone would wake up that early.

"I don't think I would have bothered going to sleep if I had to get up that early," Tonks commented.

**I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still… not complaining… Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons - and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy…" Amos Diggory peered good-naturedly around at the three Weasley boys, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny. "All these yours, Arthur?"**

"**Oh no, only the redheads," said Mr. Weasley, pointing out his children. "This is Hermione, friend of Ron's - and Harry, another friend -"**

"Wait a second," George interrupted, frowning. "How come Ron is allowed to bring two of his friends?"

"Well, I got two extra tickets," Arthur answered. "I wasn't sure how we were going to use them, though we knew that Harry would want to go. You had already said that your friend Lee was going with his family so we thought the last ticket should go to Ginny…."

"So then Ginny invited Hermione to come?" Fred asked.

"Not exactly," Ginny replied with a smirk. "Ron has just agreed to do all my chores for a month so he could use the extra ticket."

"Nice one Gin," Fred exclaimed, giving her a high five as everyone else laughed and Ron's ears turned red.

"What, I just thought Hermione would want to come …."

"I do," Hermione said earnestly, "thank you, Ron."

"I didn't think you liked Quidditch that much," Tonks observed.

"Well …. I don't think I like it as much as the others," Hermione admitted. "But this is a once in a life time opportunity."

"Still, I think the best part of this is that I would have invited Hermione even if Ron hadn't offered me anything," Ginny added laughing.

"You would have!" Ron exclaimed looking incredulous.

"Of course, Hermione's my friend too," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"**Merlin's beard," said Amos Diggory, his eyes widening. "Harry? Harry Potter?"**

"**Er - yeah," said Harry.**

**Harry was used to people looking curiously at him when they met him, used to the way their eyes moved at once to the lightning scar on his forehead, but it always made him feel uncomfortable.**

Tonks sighed at this, knowing that was exactly how she had reacted when she first met him.

Draco on the other hand was looking at Harry in disbelief, it couldn't possibly be true that Saint Potter didn't like his fame.

"**Ced's talked about you, of course," said Amos Diggory. "Told us all about playing against you ****last year … I said to him, I said - Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will … You beat Harry Potter!"**

The twins and Ron's faces grew darker at this, and their opinion of Cedric went down, sure the other boy had bragged to his father.

**Harry couldn't think of any reply to this, so he remained silent. Fred and George were both scowling again. Cedric looked slightly embarrassed.**

"**Harry fell off his broom, Dad," he muttered. "I told you … it was an accident …"**

"**Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you?" roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman … but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"**

Harry grimaced at the book.

"That's ridiculous! Everyone knows that Harry's the best flier at Hogwarts!" Fred snarled.

"He was attacked by bloody dementors, it's not Harry's bloody fault that they affect him more than anyone else!" Sirius growled defensively.

"**Must be nearly time," said Mr. Weasley quickly, pulling out his watch again. "Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"**

"**No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," said Mr. Diggory. "There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"**

"**Not that I know of," said Mr. Weasley. "Yes, it's a minute off… We'd better get ready…"**

**He looked around at Harry and Hermione. "You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do -"**

**With difficulty, owing to their bulky backpacks, the nine of them crowded around the old boot held out by Amos Diggory. They all stood there, in a tight circle, as a chill breeze swept over the hilltop.**

**Nobody spoke. It suddenly occurred to Harry how odd this would look if a Muggle were to walk up here now … nine people, two of them grown men, clutching this manky old boot in the semidarkness, waiting …**

"That would be peculiar," Duncan chuckled. "I probably would have thought you were all a bit mad."

"**Three …" muttered Mr. Weasley, one eye still on his watch, 'two … one …"**

**It happened immediately: Harry felt as though a hook just behind his navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward.**

"That's what it felt like when I was brought here," Harry mused. "Did I get here because of a portkey? Hmm…. but I wasn't holding anything…."

"You weren't brought here by a portkey," Teddy answered.

"Then how did you get us all here?" Remus asked.

"I had a bit of help in that matter actually," Teddy smiled, "But that's all I'm going to say about that…"

Remus narrowed his eyes at him, but let the subject matter drop… for now.

**His feet left the ground; he could feel Ron and Hermione on either side of him, their shoulders banging into his; they were all speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; his forefinger was stuck to the boot as though it was pulling him magnetically onward and then - His feet slammed into the ground; Ron staggered into him and he fell over; the Portkey hit the ground near his head with a heavy thud. Harry looked up. Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory, and Cedric were still standing, though looking very windswept; everybody else was on the ground.**

"**Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," said a voice.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Bill said, "Who would like to read next?"

"I think I will," Percy answered, holding out his hand.


	8. Bagman and Crouch

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Eight

Bagman and Crouch

"**Bagman and Crouch," **Percy read.

"I'm sure you just loving getting this chapter," Fred sniggered and Percy rolled his eyes at him, even if he did think this was a good chapter for him to read.

**Harry disentangled himself from Ron and got to his feet. They had arrived on what appeared to be a deserted stretch of misty moor. In front of them was a pair of tired and grumpy-looking wizards, one of whom was holding a large gold watch, the other a thick roll of parchment and a quill. Both were dressed as Muggles, though very inexpertly: The man with the watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes; his colleague, a kilt and a poncho.**

Several people were laughing at this as the Weasleys frowned.

"Is what they're wearing really that bad?" Arthur asked.

"I'll just tell you this, you'll never catch me dressed like either of them," Duncan chuckled.

"**Morning, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him; Harry could see an old newspaper, an empty drinks can, and a punctured football.**

"**Hello there, Arthur," said Basil wearily. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some …**

"What would you have done at the World Cup if you were on duty, Dad?" Ginny asked. "There can't be too many people that put charms on something Muggle …."

"Well, actually if I was to be working, I probably would have been trying to keep the order in the place as much as possible," Arthur said. "Not really a job I would fancy doing …."

**We've been here all night … You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite … Weasley … Weasley …" He consulted his parchment list. "About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory … second field … ask for Mr. Payne."**

"**Thanks, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him. They set off across the deserted moor, unable to make out much through the mist.**

**After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view. Beyond it, Harry could just make out the ghostly shapes of hundreds and hundreds of tents, rising up the gentle slope of a large field toward a dark wood on the horizon. They said good-bye to the Diggorys**

"Good," Sirius muttered, he still wasn't too pleased about what Mr. Diggory had said about Harry in the last chapter.

**and approached the cottage door. A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents. Harry knew at a glance that this was the only real Muggle for several acres. When he heard their footsteps, he turned his head to look at them.**

"Is it okay for him to be there?" Duncan frowned. "I mean if there are people wondering around wearing ponchos and kilts …. he's bound to think that something is going on here."

"I'm sure we'll think of something to keep him from noticing what is going on," Arthur replied, but he was frowning too.

"**Morning!" said Mr. Weasley brightly.**

"**Morning," said the Muggle.**

"**Would you be Mr. Roberts?"**

"**Aye, I would," said Mr. Roberts. "And who're you?"**

"**Weasley - two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"**

"**Aye," said Mr. Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door. "You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"**

"**That's it," said Mr. Weasley.**

"**You'll be paying now, then?" said Mr. Roberts.**

"**Ah - right - certainly -" said Mr. Weasley. He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned Harry toward him. "Help me, Harry," he muttered, pulling a roll of Muggle money from his pocket and starting to peel the notes apart.**

"Why did you ask Harry to help you? Hermione would have been able to help just as much." Ginny pointed out.

"Probably better," Harry admitted, it's not like he got to handle Muggle money that much himself.

Arthur just shrugged as a way to answer that question.

**"This one's a - a - a ten? Ah yes, I see the little number on it now … So this is a five?"**

"**A twenty," Harry corrected him in an undertone, uncomfortably aware of Mr. Roberts trying to catch every word.**

"**Ah yes, so it is … I don't know, these little bits of paper …"**

"You know we think your currency is just as odd as you think ours is," Juliet pointed out with a chuckled. "I remembering Hermione having to explain to us several times exactly which coin was which in the beginning."

"**You foreign?" said Mr. Roberts as Mr. Weasley returned with the correct notes.**

"**Foreign?" repeated Mr. Weasley, puzzled.**

"**You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."**

"Argh," Percy groaned as he read this. "How foolish can they be?"

"It seems very," Bill responded. "That or they just don't care about security."

"**Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley nervously.**

**Mr. Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change.**

"**Never been this crowded," he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again. "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up …"**

Arthur was starting to get nervous about this; it seemed that Duncan had a good point about the Muggle noticing too much.

"**Is that right?" said Mr. Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him.**

"**Aye," he said thoughtfully. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho."**

"I'll have to tell Basil not to wear that," Arthur muttered to himself.

"**Shouldn't he?" said Mr. Weasley anxiously**

"**It's like some sort of … I dunno … like some sort of rally," said Mr. Roberts. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party."**

"I'm surprised this Muggle had the brains to work that much out," Draco muttered to himself but was unfortunately (for him) heard by the rest of the people in the room.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Duncan frowned.

"That …." Draco started to say, but caught the death glares from several of the Weasleys and his cheeks turned pink. "It means that we are being ridiculous obvious about all of this."

"Ah, George, I think little Draky is scared of us," Fred said.

"Well he has good reason to be," George smirked at Draco.

**At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts's front door.**

"**Obliviate!" he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts.**

**Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and a took of dreamy unconcern fell over his face. Harry recognized the symptoms of one who had just had his memory modified.**

"You just modified his memories like that!" Juliet gasped.

"Unfortunately yes," Arthur frowned. "It is the safest way of dealing with him …."

"Dealing with him?" Duncan frowned.

"Er …. I just mean …. well …." Arthur hemmed trying to search for the right thing to say.

"If they didn't modify his memory the man could possibly be hurt by what he has learned," Percy stated. "Trust me, there is no lasting effect of the memory charm."

"Okay," Juliet responded, but she was still not comfortable with this topic.

"**A map of the campsite for you," Mr. Roberts said placidly to Mr. Weasley. "And your change."**

"**Thanks very much," said Mr. Weasley.**

**The wizard in plus-fours accompanied them toward the gate to the campsite. He looked exhausted: His chin was blue with stubble and there were deep purple shadows under his eyes. Once out of earshot of Mr. Roberts, he muttered to Mr. Weasley, "Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur." He Disapparated.**

"**I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," said Ginny, looking surprised. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"**

"I was thinking the same thing," Ginny commented, feeling a little strange.

"**He should," said Mr. Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite, "but Ludo's always been a bit … well … lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department though.**

"I could only imagine," Sirius interrupted. "He must be brilliant! He knows so much about Quidditch …."

"Can we get on with the story or do you want to brag about Bagman some more?" Remus asked his friend.

"I want to brag some more, but if we must read," Sirius said in a tone that suggested that he was making a great sacrifice.

**He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."**

"See …. even Arthur agrees with me," Sirius murmured to Remus, who just rolled his eyes, looking amused.

**They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes.**

"On their tents?" Duncan asked incredulously. "And you wonder why Mr. Roberts noticed things."

**However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious. Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance.**

"Peacocks …. seriously, who would bring peacocks to a game!" Fred laughed along with most of the room, though Draco was trying not to make a face because he knew how much his dad liked peacocks.

**A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.**

"**Always the same," said Mr. Weasley, smiling. "We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us."**

**They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field, and here was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read WEEZLY.**

"Ha," Draco snorted and the Weasleys all glared at him.

"**Couldn't have a better spot!" said Mr. Weasley happily. "The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be."**

"How did you get a place that close?" Draco grumbled.

"What's the matter Draky, jealous?" Ron smirked at him.

"No!" Draco rolled his eyes. "I'll have a spot just as good."

"But not better," Ron grinned. "Doesn't that have to be some kind of insult to you?"

Draco didn't say anything, because it was hard on him not being able to brag.

**He hoisted his backpack from his shoulders. "Right," he said excitedly, "no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult … Muggles do it all the time … Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"**

"It's more difficult than you might think it is," Tonks chuckled. "I remember the time that my dad took us camping the Muggle way …. after about an hour we just used our wands."

"Well, I don't know if Harry has any experience, but Hermione's been camping before," Duncan informed the others.

"Yeah …. but you're the one that put up the tent," Hermione told her dad.

"I'm sure you'll be able to handle it," Duncan stated confidently.

**Harry had never been camping in his life; the Dursleys had never taken him on any kind of holiday, preferring to leave him with Mrs. Figg, an old neighbor. However, he and Hermione worked out where most of the poles and pegs should go, and though Mr. Weasley was more of a hindrance than a help, because he got thoroughly overexcited when it came to using the mallet, they finally managed to erect a pair of shabby two-man tents.**

Arthur blushed at this as the rest of his family suppressed their laughter.

**All of them stood back to admire their handiwork. Nobody looking at these tents would guess they belonged to wizards, Harry thought, but the trouble was that once Bill, Charlie, and Percy arrived, they would be a party of ten. Hermione seemed to have spotted this problem too; she gave Harry a quizzical look as Mr. Weasley dropped to his hands and knees and entered the first tent.**

"You mean ten people can't stay in two tents," Arthur frowned.

"Not if they're Muggle tents," Juliet said. "I'm guessing that's not the case with wizard's ones."

"**We'll be a bit cramped," he called, "but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look."**

**Harry bent down, ducked under the tent flap, and felt his jaw drop. He had walked into what looked like an old-fashioned, three room flat, complete with bathroom and kitchen.**

"Wow!" Harry exclaimed, shaking his head. "That's so cool."

"I'd really like to see that," Hermione smiled.

"It's not really that amazing, is it?" Ron asked his two friends.

"Maybe not for you, but we don't get to see magic every day for most of our lives," Harry replied.

"I don't understand how you survived," Draco said. "I think if I had to do that I would die of boredom."

"I think if you had to do that, you might not be such a narrow minded git," Ginny pointed out to him.

**Oddly enough, it was furnished in exactly the same sort of style as Mrs. Figg's house: There were crocheted covers on the mismatched chairs and a strong smell of cats.**

"Oh good, just what I wanted," Ron groaned.

"Hm …. at least my tent doesn't smell like cats," Draco smirked.

"Wow! You really got us there!" Fred gasped sarcastically. "I feel so bad now."

"**Well, it's not for long," said Mr. Weasley, mopping his bald patch with a handkerchief and peering in at the four bunk beds that stood in the bedroom. "I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much anymore, poor fellow, he's got lumbago."**

"Poor guy," Remus sighed.

**He picked up the dusty kettle and peered inside it. "We'll need water …"**

"You mean there's a kitchen without a tap …. what kind of tent is that," Duncan chuckled.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to have a sense of humor," Fred blinked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione huffed.

"Er …." was all Fred had to say to that as she continued to glare at him.

"**There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us," said Ron, who had followed Harry inside the tent and seemed completely unimpressed by its extraordinary inner proportions. "It's on the other side of the field."**

"And you really think that's extraordinary?" Draco shook his head. "You're very easily impressed."

"**Well, why don't you, Harry, and Hermione go and get us some water then" - Mr. Weasley handed over the kettle and a couple of saucepans - "and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire?"**

"**But we've got an oven," said Ron. "Why can't we just -"**

"**Ron, anti-Muggle security!" said Mr. Weasley, his face shining with anticipation. "When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors. I've seen them at it!"**

"What do you do, go to the woods and watch Muggles with binoculars?" Draco asked.

"No," Arthur blushed as the rest of his family (who had been laughing a second ago) were now glaring at Draco.

**After a quick tour of the girls' tent, which was slightly smaller than the boys', though without the smell of cats, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off across the campsite with the kettle and saucepans.**

"So two girls get a tent about the same size as seven boys?" Sirius asked. "That doesn't sound fair."

"Maybe not, but it's what's going to happen," Arthur shrugged.

**Now, with the sun newly risen and the mist lifting, they could see the city of tents that stretched in every direction. They made their way slowly through the rows, staring eagerly around. It was only just dawning on Harry how many witches and wizards there must be in the world; he had never really thought much about those in other countries.**

"What? Did you think England had the only place with wizards in it?" Ron asked his friend.

"Er …." Harry temporized. "Honestly, I just never thought about that at all …."

"Seriously Harry, you should have at least read a few books about wizards," Hermione sighed.

**Their fellow campers were starting to wake up. First to stir were the families with small children; Harry had never seen witches and wizards this young before. A tiny boy no older than two was crouched outside a large pyramid-shaped tent, holding a wand and poking happily at a slug in the grass, which was swelling slowly to the size of a salami.**

"At least you didn't have to throw up a slug that big, ah Ron?" George laughed along with Fred and Draco.

"Throw up slugs?" Molly said looking at her youngest son with narrowed eyes. "What did you do?"

"I'm the one that was throwing up slugs …. what makes you think I did anything?" Ron frowned.

"He was defending Aunt Hermione's honor," Teddy said, he'd heard this story one or two times. His statement seemed to have Ron's siblings and Harry laughing as Hermione and Ron blushed.

"Defending her honor?" Molly repeated looking confused.

"That's right," Fred responded grimacing now, looking at Draco with a cold glare. "I kind of wish your spell didn't backfire."

"Uncle Percy, it's probably best if you start reading again," Teddy quickly said.

**As they drew level with him, his mother came hurrying out of the tent.**

"**How many times, Kevin? You don't - touch - Daddy's - wand - yecchh! "**

**She had trodden on the giant slug, which burst.**

"Ew!" several people exclaimed, making faces.

**Her scolding carried after them on the still air, mingling with the little boy's yells - "You bust slug! You bust slug!"**

**A short way farther on, they saw two little witches, barely older than Kevin, who were riding toy broomsticks that rose only high enough for the girls' toes to skim the dewy grass.**

Sirius and Remus chuckled at this.

"What's so funny?" Tonks questioned them.

"Sorry, I was just remembering how much Harry used to love his toy broomstick," Sirius laughed.

"I had a broomstick when I was a kid?" Harry questioned. "Huh? I always thought the first time I was on a broom was in my first year."

"Well, it was the first time on a real broom, but trust me you used to fly all around the house when you were one," Sirius chuckled. "I only saw you once but from what James use to say about you …. well let's just say I wasn't completely shock that you were on the Quidditch team."

Harry smiled at him, not having anything else to say to that, though he would have loved to hear more about his family and his past.

**A Ministry wizard had already spotted them; as he hurried past Harry, Ron, and Hermione he muttered distractedly, "In broad daylight! Parents having a lie-in, I suppose -"**

**Here and there adult wizards and witches were emerging from their tents and starting to cook breakfast. Some, with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands; others were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as though sure this couldn't work.**

"This just makes me wonder what you would do if you lost your wand?" Duncan mused. "You seem to use magic for everything."

**Three African wizards sat in serious conversation, all of them wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire, while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE. Harry caught snatches of conversation in strange languages from the inside of tents they passed, and though he couldn't understand a word, the tone of every single voice was excited.**

"Well of course it is, who wouldn't be excited when it's a few hours away from the World Cup!" Fred cheered.

"**Er - is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" said Ron.**

**It wasn't just Ron's eyes. They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth.**

"I don't think they should be allowed to do that," Percy frowned.

"If I would have to guess, I would assume that's the Irish side," Arthur said.

"Which means there's no way anyone could stop them all from doing this," Bill chuckled. "I haven't seen any fans as fanatic as the Irish side are."

**Grinning faces could be seen under those that had their flaps open. Then, from behind them, they heard their names.**

"**Harry! Ron! Hermione!"**

**It was Seamus Finnigan, their fellow Gryffindor fourth year. He was sitting in front of his own shamrock-covered tent, with a sandy-haired woman who had to be his mother, and his best friend, Dean Thomas, also of Gryffindor. "Like the decorations?" said Seamus, grinning. "The Ministry's not too happy."**

"**Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?" said Mrs. Finnigan. "You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?" she added, eyeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione beadily. When they had assured her that they were indeed supporting Ireland, they set off again, though, as Ron said, "Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot."**

"That doesn't sound very Gryffindor like to me," Sirius commented.

"Just because we're brave, doesn't mean we're suicidal," Ron pointed out. "I'm sure they would have murdered us if we weren't rooting for Ireland."

"Well that is true," Sirius chuckled.

"**I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents?" said Hermione.**

"**Let's go and have a look," said Harry, pointing to a large patch of tents upfield, where the Bulgarian flag - white, green, and red - was fluttering in the breeze. The tents here had not been bedecked with plant life, but each and every one of them had the same poster attached to it, a poster of a very surly face with heavy black eyebrows. The picture was, of course, moving, but all it did was blink and scowl.**

"It has to be Krum," Ron observed. "That makes sense."

"I don't see how that would be worse than having plant life growing out of their tents," Duncan mused.

"**Krum," said Ron quietly.**

"**What?" said Hermione.**

"**Krum!" said Ron. "Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!"**

"**He looks really grumpy," said Hermione, looking around at the many Krums blinking and scowling at them.**

Teddy had a hard time not laughing at this as Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione in disbelief. However, before Ron could make any comments about her serious lack of knowledge when it came to Quidditch Percy started reading again.

"**Really grumpy?" Ron raised his eyes to the heavens. "Who cares what he looks like? He's unbelievable. He's really young too. Only just eighteen or something. He's a genius, you wait until tonight, you'll see."**

"Gee Ron, I think you might just be his biggest fan!" Ginny teased her brother who was now glaring.

"I only told the truth," he grumbled.

**There was already a small queue for the tap in the corner of the field. Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having a heated argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown.**

Several people started chuckling at this.

**The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation.**

"**Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap. You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the ****gate's already getting suspicious –**

"**I bought this in a Muggle shop," said the old wizard stubbornly. "Muggles wear them."**

"**Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear these," said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers.**

Now just about everyone was laughing, though Percy was looking exasperated by their childish behavior.

"**I'm not putting them on," said old Archie in indignation. "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks."**

Sirius and the twins were now practically rolling on the floor laughing.

"It's not really that funny," Percy pointed out annoyed, though judging by the laughter in the room, most the people disagreed with him.

**Hermione was overcome with such a strong fit of the giggles at this point that she had to duck out of the queue and only returned when Archie had collected his water and moved away.**

"See Percy, it was funny, even Hermione agrees with us," Fred laughed as Hermione blushed slightly because she was singled out.

"It must have been even better seeing that in person," George added with a grin.

**Walking more slowly now, because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite. Here and there, they saw more familiar faces: other Hogwarts students with their families. Oliver Wood, the old captain of Harry's House Quidditch team, who had just left Hogwarts, dragged Harry over to his parents' tent to introduce him, and told him excitedly that he had just been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team.**

"Awesome!" the twins yelled, happy for their old captain.

"Wow, he must really be good, the United have always been a strong team," Sirius said impressed.

"He is great!" Fred stated.

"Plus the only thing he ever thinks of is Quidditch …. it's his whole life!" George added.

**Next they were hailed by Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff fourth year, and a little farther on they saw Cho Chang, a very pretty girl who played Seeker on the Ravenclaw team.**

Everyone was looking at Harry at the description of Cho as he looked down at the floor blushing. He was really starting to hate that they could hear his thoughts like this.

**She waved and smiled at Harry, who slopped quite a lot of water down his front as he waved back.**

There were now several people sniggering at this, though Ginny was looking upset.

"It looks like someone has a crush," Fred teased Harry mercilessly.

"Shut up!" Harry groaned.

"Don't worry Harry, I'm sure I can give you some pointers on how to get a girl to like you," Sirius smiled at his godson, but Harry didn't look at him, in fact he seemed to sink farther into the couch.

**More to stop Ron from smirking than anything, Harry hurriedly pointed out a large group of teenagers whom he had never seen before.**

"**Who d'you reckon they are?" he said. "They don't go to Hogwarts, do they?"**

"'**Spect they go to some foreign school," said Ron. "I know there are others. Never met anyone who went to one, though. Bill had a penfriend at a school in Brazil … this was years and years ago … and he wanted to go on an exchange trip but Mum and Dad couldn't afford it. His penfriend got all offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up."**

"But I must say it was a really good look on you," Fred sniggered.

"Thanks, I always thought that myself," Bill smiled at his brother, quite use to this kind of teasing and knowing that the best way to deal with the twins comments was to not let them bother him. He was quite lucky that he was able to control his temper better than most his siblings.

"I don't think it's fair of your friend to have blamed you for not being able to go on the trip," Hermione frowned.

"I never told him why I couldn't go, though I did make it seem like I was just not interested in seeing Brazil," Bill sighed.

**Harry laughed but didn't voice the amazement he felt at hearing about other wizarding schools. He supposed, now that he saw representatives of so many nationalities in the campsite, that he had been stupid never to realize that Hogwarts couldn't be the only one.**

"You certainly got that right," Draco agreed.

**He glanced at Hermione, who looked utterly unsurprised by the information. No doubt she had run across the news about other wizarding schools in some book or other.**

Hermione glared at Harry for this comment.

"Was I wrong?" he asked with a chuckle and Hermione merely crossed her arms, "I didn't think so."

"**You've been ages," said George when they finally got back to the Weasleys' tents.**

"**Met a few people," said Ron, setting the water down. "You've not got that fire started yet?"**

"**Dad's having fun with the matches," said Fred.**

**Mr. Weasley was having no success at all in lighting the fire, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Splintered matches littered the ground around him, but he looked as though he was having the time of his life.**

Arthur was blushing again as several people tried to hold in their laughter.

"**Oops!" he said as he managed to light a match and promptly dropped it in surprise.**

"**Come here, Mr. Weasley," said Hermione kindly, taking the box from him, and showing him how to do it properly.**

"Aw, but Dad was having so much fun," George snickered.

"But if we don't start the fire soon we're never going to get to eat," Ron pointed out, finding that he was starting to get hungry so he grabbed another one of the sandwiches that his mother had made a few chapters ago.

**At last they got the fire lit, though it was at least another hour before it was hot enough to cook anything. There was plenty to watch while they waited, however. Their tent seemed to be pitched right alongside a kind of thoroughfare to the field, and Ministry members kept hurrying up and down it, greeting Mr. Weasley cordially as they passed. Mr. Weasley kept up a running commentary, mainly for Harry's and Hermione's benefit; his own children knew too much about the Ministry to be greatly interested.**

"You've got that right," Ron grumbled.

"**That was Cuthbert Mockridge, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office … Here comes Gilbert Wimple; he's with the Committee on Experimental Charms; he's had those horns for a while now …**

"Horns …. how did he get horns?" Sirius asked, having known Gilbert Wimple before.

"Well …. it's a long story," Arthur responded. "I'll tell you at dinner."

**Hello, Arnie … Arnold Peasegood, he's an Obliviator - member of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, you know … and that's Bode and Croaker … they're Unspeakables …"**

"**They're what?"**

"**From the Department of Mysteries, top secret, no idea what they get up to …"**

**At last, the fire was ready, and they had just started cooking eggs and sausages when Bill, Charlie, and Percy came strolling out of the woods toward them.**

**"Just Apparated, Dad," said Percy loudly. "Ah, excellent, lunch!"**

"You probably shouldn't be shouting about Apparating where the poor Muggle can hear you, Perce," George pointed out to his brother.

"Really Percy, you need to be more careful," Fred added.

"Hmph!" Percy huffed as he glared at the twins, but his ears were red with embarrassment.

**They were halfway through their plates of eggs and sausages when Mr. Weasley jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them.**

"**Aha!" he said. "The man of the moment! Ludo!"**

**Ludo Bagman was easily the most noticeable person Harry had seen so far, even including old Archie in his flowered nightdress. He was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black. An enormous picture of a wasp was splashed across his chest. He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed; the robes were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in the days when he had played Quidditch for England. His nose was squashed (probably broken by a stray Bludger, Harry thought), but his round blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosy complexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy.**

"Well besides the large belly and broken noise he doesn't sound too different than the way that I remember him," Sirius smiled.

"**Ahoy there!" Bagman called happily. He was walking as though he had springs attached to the balls of his feet and was plainly in a state of wild excitement.**

"**Arthur, old man," he puffed as he reached the campfire, "what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming …**

"Good!" several people exclaimed, knowing how important weather was to the outcome of a match.

**and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements … Not much for me to do!"**

**Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire that was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air.**

"Yes …. it certainly seems like there's not much for him to be doing," Fred laughed.

"Ludo's not there to put out fires, he's there to get everyone excited about the match," Arthur replied.

"Dad, I think everyone would be excited about the match no matter who was there," Bill pointed out.

"True," Arthur allowed. "But Ludo has an infectious personality …. trust me, having him there only makes this day more exciting."

**Percy hurried forward with his hand outstretched. Apparently his disapproval of the way Ludo Bagman ran his department did not prevent him from wanting to make a good impression.**

Percy grimaced at Harry at this comment, his ear turning red. It didn't matter if the comment was true.

"**Ah - yes," said Mr. Weasley, grinning, "this is my son Percy. He's just started at the Ministry - and this is Fred - no, George, sorry - that's Fred - Bill, Charlie, Ron - my daughter, Ginny and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."**

**Bagman did the smallest of double takes when he heard Harry's name, and his eyes performed the familiar flick upward to the scar on Harry's forehead.**

"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed.

"What?" Harry looked at him oddly.

"I can't believe that Bagman is shocked to see you," Sirius commented.

"Everyone acts that way at first," Harry shrugged.

"**Everyone," Mr. Weasley continued, "this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets -"**

**Bagman beamed and waved his hand as if to say it had been nothing.**

"**Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" he said eagerly, jingling what seemed to be a large amount of gold in the pockets of his yellow-and-black robes. "I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first - I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years -**

"That's certainly true, there's no way that Bulgaria is going to score first," Ron muttered.

**and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a weeklong match."**

"**Oh… go on then," said Mr. Weasley. "Let's see… a Galleon on Ireland to win?"**

"**A Galleon?" Ludo Bagman looked slightly disappointed, but recovered himself. "Very well, very well… any other takers?"**

"**They're a bit young to be gambling," said Mr. Weasley. "Molly wouldn't like -"**

"**We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, three Knuts," said Fred as he and George**

"Are you two crazy?!" Molly shouted at the twins. "That's all you're savings …. you can't just wager away you're savings!"

"Sorry," the twins apologized, bowing their heads. Of course they weren't really sorry, but they didn't want her to know that.

**quickly pooled all their money, "that Ireland wins - but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch.**

"That's an interesting bet," Bill frowned. "I suppose you're betting this because you believe that Krum is the better Seeker …."

"Of course," Fred responded. "Haven't you been listening to Ron praising him so much in this book?"

"Shut up!" Ron grumbled, not liking that he was brought into this conversation.

"I believe I have," Bill chuckled, "still, I don't see why Krum would want to catch the Snitch if his team is losing."

"I don't know why either," George countered. "But I don't think that's going to make us change our bet."

"Though of course after we read this book we'll know what's really going to happen, so it wouldn't be so much of gambling anymore," Fred added thoughtfully.

**Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand."**

"**You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that," Percy hissed, but Bagman didn't seem to think the wand was rubbish at all; on the contrary, his boyish face shone with excitement as he took it from Fred, and when the wand gave a loud squawk and turned into a rubber chicken, Bagman roared with laughter.**

Percy rolled his eyes at this, not finding it all that surprising that Ludo would find that amusing, but still thinking as a head of a department he should have a little more poise than that.

"**Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!"**

**Percy froze in an attitude of stunned disapproval.**

"**Boys," said Mr. Weasley under his breath, "I don't want you betting … That's all your savings … Your mother -"**

"Your mother! What about you Arthur?! Do you think it's okay for them to gamble away their savings?!" Molly asked sharply.

"No, of course not," Arthur stated firmly, but he was obviously still wary of his wife. "I just …. I'm using the best method I know to get them to listen to me."

"Hmph!" was Molly's only responses to that.

"**Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!" boomed Ludo Bagman, rattling his pockets excitedly. "They're ****old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland will win but Krum'll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance … I'll give you excellent odds on that one … We'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we …"**

"He sure seems awful happy for someone that is basically robbing kids of their money," Juliet frowned, she never liked gambling herself.

"He's not robbing them, they're choosing to do this," Duncan pointed out.

"He just said he doesn't think there's a chance," Juliet countered.

"There is nothing fixed about a sporting event," Duncan shrugged. "That's why there so fun to watch, you never know what's going to happen."

**Mr. Weasley looked on helplessly as Ludo Bagman whipped out a notebook and quill and began jotting down the twins' names.**

"**Cheers," said George, taking the slip of parchment Bagman handed him and tucking it away into the front of his robes. Bagman turned most cheerfully back to Mr. Weasley.**

"**Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages."**

"**Mr. Crouch?" said Percy, suddenly abandoning his look of poker-stiff disapproval and positively writhing with excitement. "He speaks over two hundred! Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll …"**

Sirius grimaced at the mention of Crouch, he didn't want to hear any more about that man.

"**Anyone can speak Troll," said Fred dismissively. "All you have to do is point and grunt."**

Several people laughed at this as Percy glared at his brother.

**Percy threw Fred an extremely nasty look**

"Hm …. I think I might know what that look looks like," Fred chuckled at the glaring Percy.

**and stoked the fire vigorously to bring the kettle back to the boil.**

"**Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?" Mr. Weasley asked as Bagman settled himself down on the grass beside them all.**

"**Not a dicky bird," said Bagman comfortably. "But she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha … memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction. Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander back into the office sometime in October, thinking it's still July."**

"**You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?" Mr. Weasley suggested tentatively as Percy handed Bagman his tea.**

"**Barty Crouch keeps saying that," said Bagman, his round eyes widening innocently, "but we really can't spare anyone at the moment. Oh - talk of the devil! Barty!"**

Now Sirius growled and Percy tried to ignore him the best he could.

**A wizard had just Apparated at their fireside, and he could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the grass in his old Wasp robes. Barty Crouch was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impeccably crisp suit and tie. The parting in his short gray hair was almost unnaturally straight, and his narrow toothbrush mustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule. His shoes were very highly polished. Harry could see at once why Percy idolized him. Percy was a great believer in rigidly following rules, and Mr. Crouch had complied with the rule about Muggle dressing so thoroughly that he could have passed for a bank manager; Harry doubted even Uncle Vernon would have spotted him for what he really was.**

"And that's saying something," Ron chuckled.

"**Pull up a bit of grass, Barry," said Ludo brightly, patting the ground beside him.**

"**No thank you, Ludo," said Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience in his voice. "I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box."**

"Hmph, there's far too many people allowed in there already," Draco muttered.

"You're welcome to give up your seat if that's how you feel," Ron huffed at him.

"**Oh is that what they're after?" said Bagman. "I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent."**

"**Mr. Crouch!" said Percy breathlessly, sunk into a kind of halfbow that made him look like a hunchback. "Would you like a cup of tea?"**

"Why are you bowing to him, Percy," Bill frowned.

"I'm showing him respect," Percy responded hotly, his ears pink as his other siblings laughed.

"**Oh," said Mr. Crouch, looking over at Percy in mild surprise. "Yes - thank you, Weatherby."**

"Weatherby!" the twins exclaimed.

"He doesn't even know your name!" Fred laughed.

"You need to correct him," Bill pointed out in a serious tone, but Percy was looking more embarrassed than ever and clearing didn't want to talk about this. However, reading didn't seem to help him much, seeing as the next line seemed to only farther his humiliation.

**Fred and George choked into their own cups. Percy, very pink around the ears, busied himself with the kettle.**

"**Oh and I've been wanting a word with you too, Arthur," said Mr. Crouch, his sharp eyes falling upon Mr. Weasley. "Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets."**

"You mean there really are flying carpets?" Juliet queried.

"Not in Britain there's not," Bill answered, "though I've been on a few in Egypt …. they're rather nice."

**Mr. Weasley heaved a deep sigh.**

"Is it really that bad?" Ginny asked her dad, as he had just taken a deep sigh too.

"No, it's just that I've talked to him several times about this already," Arthur explained.

"**I sent him an owl about that just last week. If I've told him once I've told him a hundred times: Carpets are defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?"**

"**I doubt it," said Mr. Crouch, accepting a cup from Percy. "He's desperate to export here."**

"**Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?" said Bagman.**

"**Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle," said Mr. Crouch. "I remember my grandfather had an Axminster that could seat twelve - but that was before carpets were banned, of course."**

**He spoke as though he wanted to leave nobody in any doubt that all his ancestors had abided strictly by the law.**

Percy shot Harry a nasty glare for that thought as other laughed at his observances.

"**So, been keeping busy, Barty?" said Bagman breezily.**

"**Fairly," said Mr. Crouch dryly. "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo."**

"**I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?" said Mr. Weasley.**

**Ludo Bagman looked shocked.**

"**Glad! Don't know when I've had more fun… Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to took forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?"**

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sirius asked, but no one could answer him, though it looked like a few of them knew what Bagman was talking about.

**Mr. Crouch raised his eyebrows at Bagman.**

"**We agreed not to make the announcement until all the details -"**

"**Oh details!" said Bagman, waving the word away like a cloud of midges. "They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts -"**

"What's happening at Hogwarts?" Neville asked, looking nervous.

"You're not supposed to know that," Arthur frowned.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to find out soon seeing as we're reading about the future and all," Fred pointed out.

"Still …. it would be best to just let the book tell you," Arthur shrugged.

"**Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know," said Mr. Crouch sharply, cutting Bagman's remarks short. "Thank you for the tea, Weatherby."**

**He pushed his undrunk tea back at Percy and waited for Ludo to rise; Bagman struggled to his feet, swigging down the last of his tea, the gold in his pockets chinking merrily.**

"**See you all later!" he said. "You'll be up in the Top Box with me - I'm commentating!" He waved, Barty Crouch nodded curtly, and both of them Disapparated.**

"**What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" said Fred at once. "What were they talking about?"**

"**You'll find out soon enough," he said, smiling.**

"Hm …. I seemed to recall hearing this conversation only seconds ago," George commented.

"Well, it was a good question," Fred shrugged.

"**It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it," said Percy stiffly. "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it."**

"**Oh shut up, Weatherby," said Fred.**

Percy glared at Fred as his brother sniggered.

**A sense of excitement rose like a palpable cloud over the campsite as the afternoon wore on. By dusk, the still summer air itself seemed to be quivering with anticipation, and as darkness spread like a curtain over the thousands of waiting wizards, the last vestiges of pretence disappeared: the Ministry seemed to have bowed to the inevitable and stopped fighting the signs of blatant magic now breaking out everywhere.**

**Salesmen were Apparating every few feet, carrying trays and pushing carts full of extraordinary merchandise. There were luminous rosettes - green for Ireland, red for Bulgaria - which were squealing the names of the players, pointed green hats bedecked with dancing shamrocks, Bulgarian scarves adorned with lions that really roared,**

"Hey, they're the lions, maybe we should be rooting for them," Harry interjected.

"Over Ireland …. I don't think so," Ron shook his head.

**flags from both countries that played their national anthems as they were waved; there were tiny models of Firebolts that really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves.**

"**Been saving my pocket money all summer for this," Ron told Harry as they and Hermione strolled through the salesmen, buying souvenirs. Though Ron purchased a dancing shamrock hat and a large green rosette, he also bought a small figure of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker. The miniature Krum walked backward and forward over Ron's hand, scowling up at the green rosette above him.**

"**Wow, look at these!" said Harry, hurrying over to a cart piled high with what looked like brass binoculars, except that they were covered with all sorts of weird knobs and dials.**

"**Omnioculars," said the saleswizard eagerly. "You can replay action … slow everything down … and they flash up a play-by- play breakdown if you need it. Bargain - ten Galleons each."**

"That's not a bargain, that's a highly inflated price," Percy scoffed.

"That's only true if you buy them at a store," Remus pointed out. "If you buy them on the pitch like this, Omioculars are usually fifteen/twenty Galleons."

"**Wish I hadn't bought this now," said Ron, gesturing at his dancing shamrock hat and gazing longingly at the Omnioculars.**

"**Three pairs," said Harry firmly to the wizard.**

"**No - don't bother," said Ron, going red. He was always touchy about the fact that Harry, who had inherited a small fortune from his parents, had much more money than he did.**

Ron was now looking at his shoes as Harry grimaced, hating that he had to think something like that.

"**You won't be getting anything for Christmas," Harry told him, thrusting Omnioculars into his and Hermione's hands. "For about ten years, mind."**

"But of course seeing as Hermione isn't stupid enough to complain, she'll get plenty of Christmas presents," Ginny supplied.

"**Fair enough," said Ron, grinning.**

"**Oooh, thanks, Harry," said Hermione. "And I'll get us some programs, look -"**

**Their money bags considerably lighter, they went back to the tents. Bill, Charlie, and Ginny were all sporting green rosettes too, and Mr. Weasley was carrying an Irish flag. Fred and George had no souvenirs as they had given Bagman all their gold.**

**And then a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods, and at once, green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field.**

"**It's time!" said Mr. Weasley, looking as excited as any of them. "Come on, let's go!"**

"That's the end of the chapter," Percy finished.

"I'll read," Ron offered before Percy could even ask, excited to hear about the match.


	9. The Quidditch World Cup

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Nine

The Quidditch World Cup

"**The Quidditch World Cup," **Ron read with a huge grin.

**Clutching their purchases, Mr. Weasley in the lead, they all hurried into the wood, following the lantern-lit trail. They could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them, shouts and laughter, snatches of singing.**

"What does it mean hear? Couldn't we see thousands of people moving around?" Ron frowned.

"I doubt you would have been able to see thousands of people unless you were looking down on the crowd," Hermione said.

**The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious; Harry couldn't stop grinning.**

"It seems like just reading about it is infectious too," Tonks added, looking at all the people that were grinning right now (which included herself).

**They walked through the wood for twenty minutes, talking and joking loudly, until at last they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium. Though Harry could see only a fraction of the immense gold walls surrounding the field, he could tell that ten cathedrals would fit comfortably inside it.**

"**Seats a hundred thousand," said Mr. Weasley, spotting the awestruck look on Harry's face. "Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again… bless them," he added fondly, leading the way toward the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards.**

"Does it ever not work …. I mean the Muggle Repelling Charms?" Duncan asked.

"I've never heard of anything like that," Arthur answered. "If it doesn't work though, I'm sure that it would be because the wizard didn't cast the charm properly."

"**Prime seats!" said the Ministry witch at the entrance when she checked their tickets. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go."**

"Is there anyone that doesn't know you?" Tonks interjected.

"Of course there are," Arthur smiled.

"Did you know him before you got here?" Harry asked.

"Of course I did, I came over about four years ago when I was first able to apparate …. I heard that Charlie had failed the test and I wanted to tease him," Tonks chuckled.

"That was pretty funny, Charlie was grumbling hours after you went home," Fred grinned.

"How did you apparate to the Burrow, I thought you have to have been to the place or know where it is to be able to apparate somewhere?" Hermione frowned.

"How do you know that? We don't have to worry about apparating until we're seventeen!" Ron exclaimed.

"I read about it," Hermione shrugged.

"I've been at the Burrow before then," Tonks again chuckled, answering Hermione's questioned.

**The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. Mr. Weasley's party kept climbing, and at last they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goal posts. About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and Harry, filing into the front seats with the Weasleys, looked down upon a scene the likes of which he could never have imagined.**

**A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Harry's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again; watching it, Harry saw that it was flashing advertisements across the field.**

"That sounds just like a stadium for a football match, there's always some kind of advertisement going around," Duncan said, chuckling. "Though of course the higher your seats are for the football match the worst the seats get …. I take that in a sport played on brooms that's not the case."

"No, it's usually good to have the higher seats when watching Quidditch," Arthur nodded. "Though I remember this one game between the Harpies and United that was played mostly in the trenches because the wind was so bad - no one was able to pass the Quaffle to one another."

**The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family -**

"Er …. what does that mean?" Harry asked.

"It had side sticks on the side that is able to hold up to five people," Arthur replied. "It's not very fast, but it is a nice way to travel with your family before the kids come of age."

"Wouldn't they be seen if they traveled like that?" Juliet asked.

"Nah, there's an invisibility booster on it that makes the broom and all of the passengers invisible," Arthur assured her.

**safe, reliable, and with Built-in Anti-Burgler Buzzer … Mrs. Shower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover: No Pain, No Stain! … Gladrags Wizardwear - London, Paris, Hogsmeade …**

**Harry tore his eyes away from the sign and looked over his shoulder to see who else was sharing the box with them. So far it was empty, except for a tiny creature sitting in the second from last seat at the end of the row behind them. The creature, whose legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea towel draped like a toga, and it had its face hidden in its hands. Yet those long, batlike ears were oddly familiar …**

"That sounds sort of like Dobby," Harry mused to himself causing Draco to frown; that name sounded familiar to him.

"Dobby?" Remus queried, raising an eyebrow. "It sounds like a house elf to me."

"Well that's what Dobby is," Harry shrugged.

"You're on first name basis with a house elf," Sirius smiled. "Does this mean that you visit the Hogwarts kitchen too?"

"There's house elves at Hogwarts?" Harry said, shocked.

"Of course," Tonks answered, "how else do you think the castle looks so clean with hundreds of students living in it?"

"Er …. I don't know, I never really thought of it before," Harry frowned.

"How do you know Dobby if you didn't know there were house elves at Hogwarts?" Bill asked.

"Because he …. er …. tried to save my life I guess," Harry responded. "In my second year he warned me that bad things were going to be happening at Hogwarts and he wanted me to be safe."

"Yeah, but his idea of keeping Harry safe was causing him to be locked up by the Dursleys, unable to get through the barrier at platform 9 ¾ and sending a rouge bludger at Harry," Ron explained.

"Dobby sent the rouge bludger at Harry!" Fred exclaimed.

"Wow, that makes me feel bad about the itching powder we put in the Slytherin locker room after the game," George said. A moment later the twins grinned at each other and together added, "No, it doesn't."

"That was you!" Draco glared at them, causing the twins – along with several other people – to laugh.

"**Dobby?" said Harry incredulously.**

**The tiny creature looked up and stretched its fingers, revealing enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of a large tomato. It wasn't Dobby – it was, however, unmistakably a house-elf, as Harry's friend Dobby had been. Harry had set Dobby free from his old owners, the Malfoy family.**

"What?!" Draco exclaimed.

"Harry had set Dobby free from his old, horrible despicable owners, the Malfoys," Ron repeated.

"I can't believe that this is news to you …. didn't you notice that he was missing?" Harry directed to Draco.

"As if I would notice one of our servants missing," Draco replied rolling his eyes.

"**Did sir just call me Dobby?" squeaked the elf curiously from between its fingers. Its voice was higher even than Dobby's had been, a teeny, quivering squeak of a voice, and Harry suspected though it was very hard to tell with a house-elf – that this one might just be female.**

"It's not really that hard to tell," Sirius said. "You just don't know because you haven't seen that many house elves …. I suggest you start going to the kitchen more often so you can see the difference."

"That's a plan that I would be okay going along with," Ron smiled.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Hermione rolled her eyes at him as the others laughed.

**Ron and Hermione spun around in their seats to look. Though they had heard a lot about Dobby from Harry, they had never actually met him. Even Mr. Weasley looked around in interest.**

"**Sorry," Harry told the elf, "I just thought you were someone I knew."**

"**But I knows Dobby too, sir!" squeaked the elf.**

"Wow, that's odd …. what are the changes that they would know each other?" Duncan said frowning.

"Actually very high, most house elves do, especially if they're in the old families like Dobby was," Bill explained. "I wonder who this elf belongs to though?"

"Do you think it's another dark family?" Harry asked.

"Not necessarily," Bill shook his head. "Like I said, all pure blood family's house elves would likely know each other."

**She was shielding her face, as though blinded by light, though the Top Box was not brightly lit. "My name is Winky, sir - and you, sir -" Her dark brown eyes widened to the size of side plates as they rested upon Harry's scar. "You is surely Harry Potter!"**

"**Yeah, I am," said Harry.**

"I just love it when people tell me who I am," Harry voiced, full of sarcasm. "It's a good reminder just in case I forget."

"Well it seemed like you needed that reminder when we meet you," George chuckled.

"I seemed to remember you said, 'oh him' when we told you that you were Harry Potter," Fred added.

"**But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!" she said, lowering her hands very slightly and looking awestruck.**

"**How is he?" said Harry. "How's freedom suiting him?"**

"**Ah, sir," said Winky, shaking her head, "ah sir, meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free."**

Harry frowned at that.

"She has a different opinion on that than Dobby does," Teddy assured him.

"**Why?" said Harry, taken aback. "What's wrong with him?"**

"**Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir," said Winky sadly. "Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir."**

"**Why not?" said Harry.**

**Winky lowered her voice by a half-octave and whispered, "He is wanting paying for his work, sir."**

"You mean they don't get paid! For all the work they do, they don't get any compensation!" Hermione shrieked, taken aback by that.

"I've never heard of a house elf being paid," Ron said making a face.

"And you think that's right?" Hermione glared at him.

"It's how it is," Ron shrugged. "It's not like we can change that."

"We'll just have to see about that," Hermione grimaced, trying to think of a way that she could help. Teddy started chuckling at this point causing her to glare at him "What's so funny?"

"Oh …. it's nothing about that …. it's just, well, you don't change much," Teddy shrugged. "I'm sure you'll know what I mean soon enough."

"Something tells me I'm not going to like this," Ron groaned.

"**Paying?" said Harry blankly. "Well - why shouldn't he be paid?"**

**Winky looked quite horrified at the idea and closed her fingers slightly so that her face was half-hidden again.**

"**House-elves is not paid, sir!" she said in a muffled squeak. "No, no, no. I says to Dobby, I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle down, Dobby. He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and next thing I hear you's up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, like some common goblin."**

"Hm …. that sounds like elves think they're better than goblins," Bill mused, knowing that the goblins didn't have very high opinions of the house elves either.

"**Well, it's about time he had a bit of fun," said Harry.**

"**House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter," said Winky firmly, from behind her hands. "House-elves does what they is told. I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter" - she glanced toward the edge of the box and gulped - "but my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir."**

"**Why's he sent you up here, if he knows you don't like heights?" said Harry, frowning.**

"I doubt her master cares one bit that she's afraid of heights," Draco rolled his eyes. "Haven't you been listening Potter – the point of house elves is to do what we tell them to do!"

"And you think that's right don't you, that you can just make someone do something that they're afraid of," Harry glared at him.

"Someone? It's an elf, not a person," Draco rolled his eyes and Harry's grimace deepened.

"House elves might not be humans, but they do have feelings, you shouldn't treat them like that," Hermione added in a huff.

"You people are hopeless," Draco rolled his eyes … he was starting to get dizzy with all the eye rolling.

"I think that's our line," Harry glared more.

"**Master - master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter. He is very busy," said Winky, tilting her head toward the empty space beside her. "Winky is wishing she is back in master's tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told. Winky is a good house-elf."**

**She gave the edge of the box another frightened look and hid her eyes completely again. Harry turned back to the others.**

"**So that's a house-elf?" Ron muttered. "Weird things, aren't they?"**

"**Dobby was weirder," said Harry fervently.**

**Ron pulled out his Omnioculars and started testing them, staring down into the crowd on the other side of the stadium.**

"**Wild!" he said, twiddling the replay knob on the side. "I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again … and again … and again …"**

"Oh, how mature," Hermione rolled her eyes at him as the boys sniggered at this.

**Hermione, meanwhile, was skimming eagerly through her velvet-covered, tasseled program.**

"'**A display from the team mascots will precede the match,'" she read aloud.**

"**Oh that's always worth watching," said Mr. Weasley. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."**

"I wonder what they're going to be," Neville mused, happy that he was able to hear all of this in the book because he wasn't going to be able to go to the game.

**The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards. Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on a hedgehog.**

Percy grimaced at Harry as his siblings sniggered at this.

"Why don't you just stay standing Perce …. it might have been easier," Bill suggested and Percy shifted his glared to his oldest brother.

**When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered. Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand and thereafter remained in his seat, throwing jealous looks at Harry, whom Cornelius Fudge had greeted like an old friend. They had met before, and Fudge shook Harry's hand in a fatherly fashion, asked how he was, and introduced him to the wizards on either side of him.**

"Believe me Percy, I would trade position with you if I could," Harry winced, and Percy looked at him skeptically. "It's true …. I don't really like how everyone knows me because of something that I don't even remember …. it's rather annoying."

"**Harry Potter, you know," he told the Bulgarian minister loudly, who was wearing splendid robes of black velvet trimmed with gold and didn't seem to understand a word of English. "Harry Potter… oh come on now, you know who he is… the boy who survived You-Know-Who… you do know who he is -"**

**The Bulgarian wizard suddenly spotted Harry's scar and started gabbling loudly and excitedly, pointing at it.**

"Well, I can see why that would be annoying," Percy admitted to the younger boy.

"So I'm even famous in other countries," Harry groaned.

"I don't think there's anyone in the magically community that doesn't know who you are," Remus chuckled as Harry made a face at that.

"**Knew we'd get there in the end," said Fudge wearily to Harry. "I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat …**

"So Winky is Mr. Crouch house elf," Hermione spat out, looking angry. It was bad enough that this man had been responsible for putting Sirius away without giving him a trial, but now it came out that he cared little about his house elf's feeling, making her want to do something horrible to the man.

**Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places … ah, and here's Lucius!"**

"Argh," Ron groaned and Draco glared at him.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned quickly. Edging along the second row to three still-empty seats right behind Mr. Weasley were none other than Dobby the house-elf's former owners: Lucius Malfoy; his son, Draco; and a woman Harry supposed must be Draco's mother. Harry and Draco Malfoy had been enemies ever since their very first journey to Hogwarts. A pale boy with a pointed face and white-blond hair, Draco greatly resembled his father.**

"I feel really sorry for you," Sirius said to Draco who was now glaring at him as the others snickered.

**His mother was blonde too; tall and slim, she would have been nice-looking if she hadn't been wearing a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her nose.**

"Hey, leave my mum alone!" Draco snapped at him.

"He didn't even say anything that bad," Ron rolled his eyes.

"And that stuck up look always did make Narcissa look horrible, I remember she used to be all right before she went to Hogwarts," Sirius added.

"**Ah, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"**

"**How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"**

**It was a tense moment. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy looked at each other and Harry vividly recalled the last time they had come face-to-face: It had been in Flourish and Blotts' bookshop, and they had had a fight.**

"I wish I could have hit that bastard a few more times," Arthur hissed.

"Arthur!" Molly exclaimed, glaring at him. "Watch your language!"

"Sorry," Arthur mumbled but he wasn't looking sorry at all.

"Why did you fight with him on that day?" Duncan asked. He remembered that day clearly, but he had never got a satisfactory answer to the reason they had fought.

Arthur sighed, taking off his glasses and trying to think about how to put it.

"Mr. Malfoy thinks it's a disgrace to for a pure blood family to associate with Muggles," Hermione answered sadly. She had avoided answering this in the past because she didn't want her parents to know how people could be prejudiced against her, but she didn't think there was any point of doing this anymore. This subject was sure to be in this book.

"You fought … because of us," Juliet gasped.

"Yes … and no," Arthur answered. "Lucius and I have a long history of not getting along …"

**Mr. Malfoy's cold gray eyes swept over Mr. Weasley, and then up and down the row.**

"**Good lord, Arthur," he said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"**

There were several growls at this by most of the Weasleys and it was quite lucky for Draco that they had drowned out his snort, because they would likely have cursed him with how upset they were.

**Fudge, who wasn't listening, said, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest."**

"So he doesn't buy the tickets straight out, he buys them by giving money away," Hermione frowned.

"Well at least St. Mungo's could use the money to do something good with it," Arthur said, "usually his money isn't donated to such a generous case."

"**How - how nice," said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile.**

**Mr. Malfoy's eyes had returned to Hermione, who went slightly pink, but stared determinedly back at him. Harry knew exactly what was making Mr. Malfoy's lip curl like that. The Malfoys prided themselves on being purebloods; in other words, they considered anyone of Muggle descent, like Hermione, second-class.**

"Hmph, shows what they know!" Ron growled at the book as the Grangers were looking both angry and uncomfortable, not liking the sounds of this. Which was only intensified after hearing that Arthur had fought the man over a matter like this.

**However, under the gaze of the Minister of Magic, Mr. Malfoy didn't dare say anything. He nodded sneeringly to Mr. Weasley and continued down the line to his seats. Draco shot Harry, Ron, and Hermione one contemptuous look, then settled himself between his mother and father.**

"Aw, what's the matter Draky, can't think of anything scathing to say?" Fred chuckled darkly.

"**Slimy gits," Ron muttered as he, Harry, and Hermione turned to face the field again. Next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box.**

"**Everyone ready?" he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam. "Minister - ready to go?"**

"**Ready when you are, Ludo," said Fudge comfortably.**

**Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said "Sonorus!" and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands.**

"**Ladies and gentlemen… welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second ****Quidditch World Cup!"**

"Yeah!" several people cheered, excited about hearing about this game.

**The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans - A Risk With Every Mouthful!)**

"They definitely have that right," Bill grumbled, those weren't his favorite candy.

**and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.**

"**And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce… the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"**

**The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.**

"**I wonder what they've brought," said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. "Aaah!" He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. "Veela!"**

Molly suddenly glared at her husbands actions as he chuckled nervously.

"This should be interesting," Remus chuckled and Harry looked at him questioningly. "I'm sure you'll see what I mean in a second."

"I wish I could actually see them," Sirius sighed.

"**What are veel -?"**

**But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry's question was answered for him. Veela were women… the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen… except that they weren't - they couldn't be - human. This puzzled Harry for a moment while he tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind but then the music started, and Harry stopped worrying about them not being human-in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all.**

Teddy smiled at this, this description had made him think about his best friend, though she didn't technically look like this, there were times when her veela heritage was obvious.

**The veela had started to dance, and Harry's mind had gone completely and blissfully blank. All that mattered in the world was that he kept watching the veela, because if they stopped dancing, terrible things would happen.**

"It seems like you don't have much resistance to their powers," Remus chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked but no one answer that question.

**And as the veela danced faster and faster, wild, half-formed thoughts started chasing through Harry's dazed mind. He wanted to do something very impressive, right now. Jumping from the box into the stadium seemed a good idea … but would it be good enough?**

"Good enough! Harry, have you gone insane?" Hermione exclaimed to her friend.

"Er …." was all Harry could say to that because he wasn't sure what the right answer was.

"He's not insane, veela's just have a stronger power over males," Remus explained with a smile.

"Why are you so cheerful about that – aren't you one of those males?" Tonks pointed out.

"Yes, but one of the good things about being a werewolf is that charms like this don't affect me …. quite as much," Remus shrugged.

"Yeah, we found that out the hard way," Sirius said chuckling.

"Er …. what's that supposed to mean?" Molly frowned.

"I would tell you, but that story isn't suitable for the kids present," Sirius answered.

"Come on you have to tell us now!" Fred groaned.

"Ron, read!" Molly demanded from her son before Sirius could say more.

"**Harry, what are you doing?" said Hermione's voice from a long way off.**

**The music stopped. Harry blinked. He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box. Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard.**

**Angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the veela to go. Harry was with them; he would, of course, be supporting Bulgaria, and he wondered vaguely why he had a large green shamrock pinned to his chest.**

"Well that was very cleaver of the Bulgarians …. getting the crowd on their side," Sirius chuckled.

"Or at least the males in the crowd," Tonks said. "I'm pretty sure most the the females would be rooting for the Irish now after all of that."

"You're probably right," Sirius laughed.

**Ron, meanwhile, was absentmindedly shredding the shamrocks on his hat. Mr. Weasley, smiling slightly, leaned over to Ron and tugged the hat out of his hands.**

"**You'll be wanting that," he said, "once Ireland have had their say."**

"**Huh?" said Ron, staring openmouthed at the veela, who had now lined up along one side of the field.**

Hermione made a face at that.

**Hermione made a loud tutting noise.**

And now she was starting to blush, not liking that Harry would notice something like that.

**She reached up and pulled Harry back into his seat. "Honestly!" she said.**

"**And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air … for the Irish National Team Mascots!"**

**Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd oooohed and aaaaahed, as though at a fireworks display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it**

"**Excellent!" yelled Ron as the shamrock soared over them, and heavy gold coins rained from it, ****bouncing off their heads and seats.**

"Cool!" several people shouted, smiling.

"And now the Irish are trying to buy off the crowd," Sirius laughed. "This is an interesting match and the game hasn't even started yet!"

**Squinting up at the shamrock, Harry realized that it was actually comprised of thousands of tiny little bearded men with red vests, each carrying a minute lamp of gold or green.**

"**Leprechauns!" said Mr. Weasley over the tumultuous applause of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold.**

"Leprechauns are real!" Juliet exclaimed. "I supposed you'll tell me vampires are really too!"

"Well, actually they are," Remus nodded.

"Of course they are," Juliet smiled this time as she shook her head.

"**There you go," Ron yelled happily, stuffing a fistful of gold coins into Harry's hand, "for the Omnioculars! Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!"**

Bill grimaced at this, knowing that Leprechauns' gold disappeared after a few hours. Knowing that Ron wasn't going to like that if he ever found out, he decided not to say anything in hopes that his youngest brother wouldn't find out about that.

**The great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns drifted down onto the field on the opposite side from the veela, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match.**

"**And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome - the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you - Dimitrov!"**

**A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.**

"**Ivanova!"**

**A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out.**

"**Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand - Krum!"**

"**That's him, that's him!" yelled Ron, following Krum with his Omnioculars. Harry quickly focused his own.**

**Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey. It was hard to believe he was only eighteen.**

"**And now, please greet - the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yelled Bagman. "Presenting - Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand - Lynch!"**

**Seven green blurs swept onto the field;**

"You know, I'm all for Irish winning, but did they really have to be green?" Sirius said. "With the Bulgarians being be scarlet, it's kind of like a Gryffindor/Slytherin game and it's like were … euk …. rooting for the Slytherins."

"You really are such an idiot sometimes," Remus rolled his eyes at his friend.

**Harry spun a small dial on the side of his Omnioculars and slowed the players down enough to read the word "Firebolt" on each of their brooms and see their names, embroidered in silver, upon their backs.**

"Ha, thanks to your wonderful godfather, you have a national quality broom!" Sirius smiled at Harry.

"You gave him that broom?" Fred blinked. "Thanks mate, it really helped us win the cup last year."

"**And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"**

**A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a mustache to rival Uncle Vernon's, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. A silver whistle was protruding from under the mustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other.**

**Harry spun the speed dial on his Omnioculars back to normal, watching closely as Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open - four balls burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle, the two black Bludgers, and (Harry saw it for the briefest moment, before it sped out of sight) the minuscule, winged Golden Snitch. With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls.**

"**Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" screamed Bagman. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"**

**It was Quidditch as Harry had never seen it played before. He was pressing his Omnioculars so hard to his glasses that they were cutting into the bridge of his nose. The speed of the players was incredible - the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names.**

"Wow, that's even faster than the English league," Ron whistled, he had only seen games like that.

"Of course it is, this is the best of the best," Bill said.

**Harry spun the slow dial on the right of his Omnioculars again, pressed the play by- play button on the top, and he was immediately watching in slow motion, while glittering purple lettering flashed across the lenses and the noise of the crowd pounded against his eardrums.**

"You really shouldn't do that," Arthur informed him. "You'll miss everything if you do."

"Of course after the game is over you can use the Omnioculars to recap the whole game …. that is as long as you look at it within the next twenty-four hours," Bill pointed out.

**HAWKSHEAD ATTACKING FORMATION, he read as he watched the three Irish Chasers zoom closely together, Troy in the center, slightly ahead of Mullet and Moran, bearing down upon the Bulgarians. PORSKOFF PLOY flashed up next, as Troy made as though to dart upward with the Quaffle, drawing away the Bulgarian Chaser Ivanova and dropping the Quaffle to Moran. One of the Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov, swung hard at a passing Bludger with his small club, knocking it into Moran's path; Moran ducked to avoid the Bludger and dropped the Quaffle; and Levski, soaring beneath, caught it - "TROY SCORES!" roared Bagman, and the stadium shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers. "Ten zero to Ireland!"**

"Yes!" several people cheered.

"But I wish you would have seen what it looks like," Ron added with a grumble.

"Sorry mate, I'll make sure to watch in regular speed next time," Harry rolled his eyes.

"Like that's going to help, I'm going to be there too next time and I'll see it in person," Ron said.

"**What?" Harry yelled, looking wildly around through his Omnioculars. "But Levski's got the Quaffle!"**

"**Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!" shouted Hermione, who was dancing up and down, waving her arms in the air**

"Hm …. it seems that you have inherited your father's cheering style," Juliet smiled fondly as Hermione and her dad both blushed.

"And you say that you don't care about Quidditch," Ron added with a chuckle.

"I never said that, I just know I don't care about it like you and Harry do," Hermione rolled her eyes as she turned a little redder.

**while Troy did a lap of honor around the field. Harry looked quickly over the top of his Omnioculars and saw that the leprechauns watching from the sidelines had all risen into the air again and formed the great, glittering shamrock. Across the field, the veela were watching them sulkily.**

**Furious with himself, Harry spun his speed dial back to normal as play resumed.**

**Harry knew enough about Quidditch to see that the Irish Chasers were superb. They worked as a seamless team, their movements so well coordinated that they appeared to be reading one another's minds as they positioned themselves, and the rosette on Harry's chest kept squeaking their names: "Troy - Mullet - Moran!" And within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the greenclad supporters.**

"Come on Harry …. describe the game in more detail!" Ron glared at his friend. "If you can mention all those embarrassing things you see, you can at least tell us about the match!"

**The match became still faster, but more brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves; twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria's first goal.**

"Aw …." a few people groaned.

"**Fingers in your ears!" bellowed Mr. Weasley as the veela started to dance in celebration. Harry screwed up his eyes too; he wanted to keep his mind on the game.**

"Good for you, you don't need to be distracted by them during this game," Sirius nodded his head.

**After a few seconds, he chanced a glance at the field. The veela had stopped dancing, and Bulgaria was again in possession of the Quaffle.**

"**Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova - oh I say!" roared Bagman. One hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the center of the ****Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from airplanes without parachutes. Harry followed their descent through his Omnioculars, squinting to see where the Snitch was –**

"**They're going to crash!" screamed Hermione next to Harry.**

"Yeah right, if Krum crashes I'd tear up all of my Cannon posters," Ron rolled his eyes.

"Then let's hope he crashes, you need to get some better posters," Fred said. Ron glared at him.

**She was half right - at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.**

"Oh dear …. I hope he's okay," Hermione, Molly and Juliet all said.

"He'll be fine after a few minutes," Tonks reassured them.

"I bet anything that was a feint." Ginny stated.

"You know what a feint is?" Fred asked his sister in shock, getting a glare from her in return.

"Of course I know what a feint is! Jones used a feint against the Tornado Seeker when she was force to play Seeker last season!"

"I bet Ginny's right, that sounds like it was a feint to me as well," Arthur said before his daughter could say anything more and start a fight with Fred.

"**Fool!" moaned Mr. Weasley. "Krum was feinting!"**

"**It's time-out!" yelled Bagman's voice, "as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!"**

"**He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!" Charlie said reassuringly to Ginny, who was hanging over the side of the box, looking horror-struck. "Which is what Krum was after, of course …"**

"You didn't seem to know what a feint was in the book," Fred said to his sister.

"I was worried about Lynch, that doesn't mean I didn't know what the move was," she rolled her eyes.

**Harry hastily pressed the replay and play-by-play buttons on his Omnioculars, twiddled the speed dial, and put them back up to his eyes. He watched as Krum and Lynch dived again in slow motion. WRONSKI DEFENSIVE FEINT - DANGEROUS SEEKER DIVERSION read the shining purple lettering across his lenses. He saw Krum's face contorted with concentration as he pulled out of the dive just in time, while Lynch was flattened, and he understood - Krum hadn't seen the Snitch at all, he was just making Lynch copy him. Harry had never seen anyone fly like that; Krum hardly looked as though he was using a broomstick at all; he moved so easily through the air that he looked unsupported and weightless.**

"I've actually always thought you kind of looked that way Harry," Neville murmured. "Especially the last two matches when you've had the Firebolt."

"Really?" Harry blinked.

"He's right mate, you do sort of look that way," Ron replied, "though of course I'm not sure it's quite as good as Krum …. but it's got to be close."

"And this is coming from Krum's biggest fan," Fred said. "That's quite some compliment."

**Harry turned his Omnioculars back to normal and focused them on Krum. He was now circling high above Lynch, who was being revived by mediwizards with cups of potion. Harry, focusing still more closely upon Krum's face, saw his dark eyes darting all over the ground a hundred feet below. He was using the time while Lynch was revived to look for the Snitch without interference.**

"That doesn't seem fair," Juliet frowned.

"It has to be the point of the move," Duncan argued reasonably. "And obviously it's not against the rules."

**Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his Firebolt, and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland new heart. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivaled by anything Harry had seen so far.**

"I'll be sure to tell the girls that the next time we practice," George chuckled.

"I'm sure they agree with me," Harry said, though he hoped that George didn't tell them for real in the slight chance the Gryffindor Chasers didn't understand.

**After fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals. They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game was starting to get dirtier. As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her. Whatever happened was over so quickly Harry didn't catch it, but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told him it had been a foul.**

"**And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing — excessive use of elbows!"**

"Ouch," Bill grimaced knowing what it was like to be cobbed.

**Bagman informed the roaring spectators. "And - yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!"**

**The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words "HA, HA, HA!" The veela on the other side of the field leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again.**

"Cool …. a mascot war!" Sirius chuckled.

**As one, the Weasley boys and Harry stuffed their fingers into their ears, but Hermione, who hadn't bothered, was soon tugging on Harry's arm.**

"There's no need for her to bother, veela's don't affect girls," Remus said.

**He turned to look at her, and she pulled his fingers impatiently out of his ears.**

"**Look at the referee!" she said, giggling.**

"This should be good," Fred smirked, knowing it had to be if Hermione was giggling.

**Harry looked down at the field. Hassan Mostafa had landed right in front of the dancing veela, and was acting very oddly indeed. He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache excitedly.**

"The poor man," Sirius said while laughing hard along with the others in the room.

"They probably should have had a girl ref this match," Duncan chuckled. "If you're saying that they wouldn't have been affected like this."

"**Now, we can't have that!" said Ludo Bagman, though he sounded highly amused. "Somebody slap the referee!" **

**A mediwizard came tearing across the field, his fingers stuffed into his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard in the shins. Mostafa seemed to come to himself; Harry, watching through the Omnioculars again, saw that he looked exceptionally embarrassed and had started shouting at the veela, who had stopped dancing and were looking mutinous.**

"**And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!" said Bagman's voice. "Now there's something we haven't seen before … Oh this could turn nasty …"**

**It did: The Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, landed on either side of Mostafa and began arguing furiously with him, gesticulating toward the leprechauns, who had now gleefully formed the words "HEE, HEE, HEE." Mostafa was not impressed by the Bulgarians' arguments, however; he was jabbing his finger into the air, clearly telling them to get flying again, and when they refused, he gave two short blasts on his whistle.**

"Come on, don't let your temper get the better of you," Sirius huffed.

"I thought you were rooting for the Irish?" Fred asked.

"I am, but I've always hated it when the ref makes themselves a factor in the game," Sirius shrugged. "It should be the team that dictate who wins or not."

"I know what you talking about," Duncan said frowning, thinking about all the football games that had been effected by a bad ref.

"**Two penalties for Ireland!" shouted Bagman, and the Bulgarian crowd howled with anger. "And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms … yes … there they go … and Troy takes the Quaffle." Play now reached a level of ferocity beyond anything they had yet seen. The Beaters on both sides were acting without mercy: Volkov and Vulchanov in particular seemed not to care whether their clubs made contact with Bludger or human as they swung them violently through the air. Dimitrov shot straight at Moran, who had the Quaffle, nearly knocking her off her broom.**

"**Foul!" roared the Irish supporters as one, all standing up in a great wave of green. "Foul!" echoed Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice. "Dimitrov skins Moran - deliberately flying to collide there - and it's got to be another penalty - yes, there's the whistle!"**

**The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field.**

This cause several people to chuckle.

**At this, the veela lost control. Instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the field and began throwing what seemed to be handfuls of fire at the leprechauns.**

"Where did they get handfuls of fire!" Juliet questioned.

"I believe you're about to see the other form that veela can take on," Remus stated.

"And it's definitely not as appealing as the last," Sirius added.

**Watching through his Omnioculars, Harry saw that they didn't look remotely beautiful now. On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruelbeaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders -**

"**And that, boys," yelled Mr. Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below, "is why you should never go for looks alone!"**

"I'm sure we'll all take that to heart," Bill chuckled and Teddy snorted. "What?"

"Nothing," Teddy shook his head, but he was sure that everyone was going to find it amusing when they found out who Bill was going to marry.

"Are you trying to imply that I'm not beautiful Arthur," Molly glared at him, looking more dangerous than any angry scaly bird could.

"Of course not, I said never go for looks _alone_," Arthur said in a defensive voice and Molly's glare immediately turned into an amused grin.

**Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the veela and the leprechauns, but with little success; meanwhile, the pitched battle below was nothing to the one taking place above. Harry turned this way and that, staring through his Omnioculars, as the Quaffie changed hands with the speed of a bullet.**

"**Levski - Dimitrov - Moran - Troy - Mullet - Ivanova - Moran again - Moran - MORAN SCORES!"**

"Yeah!"

**But the cheers of the Irish supporters were barely heard over the shrieks of the veela, the blasts now issuing from the Ministry members' wands, and the furious roars of the Bulgarians. The game recommenced immediately; now Levski had the Quaffle, now Dimitrov - The Irish Beater Quigley swung heavily at a passing Bludger, and hit it as hard as possible toward Krum, who did not duck quickly enough. It hit him full in the face.**

"Ouch," several people winced.

**There was a deafening groan from the crowd; Krum's nose looked broken, there was blood everywhere, but Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle. He had become distracted, and Harry couldn't blame him; one of the veela had thrown a handful of fire and set his broom tail alight.**

"Well I suppose that is a good reason," Sirius chuckled.

"Hm …. the veela's distracted their own team …. that sucks," Ron muttered.

**Harry wanted someone to realize that Krum was injured; even though he was supporting Ireland, Krum was the most exciting player on the field. Ron obviously felt the same.**

"**Time-out! Ah, come on, he can't play like that, look at him -"**

"**Look at Lynch!" Harry yelled.**

**For the Irish Seeker had suddenly gone into a dive, and Harry was quite sure that this was no Wronski Feint; this was the real thing…**

"**He's seen the Snitch!" Harry shouted. "He's seen it! Look at him go!" Half the crowd seemed to have realized what was happening; the Irish supporters rose in another great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on… but Krum was on his tail. How he could see where he was going, Harry had no idea; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him, but he was drawing level with Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again -**

"**They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione.**

"**They're not!" roared Ron.**

"**Lynch is!" yelled Harry.**

"You know Lynch doesn't sound that good if he keep crashing," Fred frowned.

"Lynch is a decent Seeker, but he doesn't hold a candle to Krum," Ron rolled his eyes.

"I bet Lynch is pushing himself harder than he's capable of because he wants to bet Krum," Draco observed.

"You would know something about that, seeing as you're always trying to beat Harry," Ron smirked at him and Draco glared.

**And he was right - for the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry veela.**

"Ouch!" a few people winced at not only the fall but the fact that he was attacked right afterward.

"**The Snitch, where's the Snitch?" bellowed Charlie, along the row.**

"**He's got it - Krum's got it - it's all over!" shouted Harry.**

**Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand.**

**The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd,**

"YES!" everyone cheered but none as loudly as the twins.

"WE WON!" they shouted in unison, already thinking about what they would do with their winnings. It felt good too that they didn't have to use future knowledge to win the bet either.

**who didn't seem to have realized what had happened. Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight.**

"That sounds sort of like the end of your first game Harry," Neville pointed out. "How no one knew what was going on because you caught the snitch so unexpectedly."

"What, you mean people didn't think I would catch it with my mouth," Harry chuckled.

"What?" Remus and Sirius asked at the same time.

"Oh, in that match I nearly fell off my broom because Quirrel was cursing it and ended up catching the snitch in my mouth …. you know, your average game," Harry laughed at their expression.

"I'm still glad that we thought it was Snape that was cursing you though," Ron added chuckling. "He still doesn't know that Hermione set his robes on fire."

"What?" Several people exclaimed at once to that turning to a blushing Hermione.

"What …? I thought that he was cursing Harry, I had to stop him," Hermione defended her actions.

"You don't see us complaining," Fred shook his head, laughing.

"In fact I think that's the funniest thing we've ever heard," George added.

"You might have just become our new hero!"

"Sorry guys," George added to the two marauders in the room.

"Don't be, I think she's my hero too," Sirius laughed.

"**IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match.**

"**KRUM GETS THE SNITCH - BUT IRELAND WINS — good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"**

"I beg your pardon, but I think at least two people were thinking that," George said proudly.

"**What did he catch the Snitch for?" Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head. "He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"**

"**He knew they were never going to catch up!" Harry shouted back over all the noise, also applauding loudly. "The Irish Chasers were too good … He wanted to end it on his terms, that's all…"**

"**He was very brave, wasn't he?" Hermione said, leaning forward to watch Krum land as a swarm of mediwizards blasted a path through the battling leprechauns and veela to get to him. "He looks a terrible mess …"**

**Harry put his Omnioculars to his eyes again. It was hard to see what was happening below, because leprechauns were zooming delightedly all over the field, but he could just make out Krum, surrounded by mediwizards. He looked surlier than ever and refused to let them mop him up. His team members were around him, shaking their heads and looking dejected; a short way away, the Irish players were dancing gleefully in a shower of gold descending from their mascots.**

**Flags were waving all over the stadium, the Irish national anthem blared from all sides; the veela were shrinking back into their usual, beautiful selves now, though looking dispirited and forlorn.**

"**Vell, ve fought bravely," said a gloomy voice behind Harry. He looked around; it was the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.**

"**You can speak English!" said Fudge, sounding outraged. "And you've been letting me mime everything all day!" '**

**"Veil, it vos very funny," said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging.**

Several people sniggered at this.

"Is it wrong that I like the foreign Minister better than our own?" Sirius chuckled.

"Not really …. and it's not surprising, it looks like this guy has a sense of humor," Remus also chuckled.

"**And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!" roared Bagman.**

**Harry's eyes were suddenly dazzled by a blinding white light, as the Top Box was magically illuminated so that everyone in the stands could see the inside. Squinting toward the entrance, he saw two panting wizards carrying a vast golden cup into the box, which they handed to Cornelius Fudge, who was still looking very disgruntled that he'd been using sign language all day for nothing.**

People chuckled again at this.

"**Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers - Bulgaria!" Bagman shouted.**

"Yeah, that's just what I want to be call, gallant losers," Fred grinned.

"I really don't think there's a nice way of calling someone a loser," Bill pointed out.

**And up the stairs into the box came the seven defeated Bulgarian players. The crowd below was applauding appreciatively; Harry could see thousands and thousands of Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction.**

**One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows of seats in the box, and Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own minister and then with Fudge. Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. Two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face. He was still holding the Snitch. Harry noticed that he seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered.**

"Who cares about that?" Ron rolled his eyes. "All that matters is that he's brilliant in the air."

**But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar.**

"It seems Ronnikins isn't the only one that liked Krum," George chuckled.

**And then came the Irish team. Aidan Lynch was being supported by Moran and Connolly; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused.**

"Poor bloke, he's going to be feeling that for a while," Arthur sighed.

"Well at least his team walked away with the victory …. it would have been worse if Krum won the game with that catch," Harry pointed out.

**But he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered its approval. Harry's hands were numb with clapping.**

**At last, when the Irish team had left the box to perform another lap of honor on their brooms (Aidan Lynch on the back of Confolly's, clutching hard around his waist and still grinning in a bemused sort of way), Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, "Quietus."**

"**They'll be talking about this one for years," he said hoarsely, "a really unexpected twist, that …**

"That's true …. a game hardly ends with the losing Seeker catching the snitch," Ron said. "Especially when it's a not a league game and points don't matter."

**shame it couldn't have lasted longer … Ah yes … yes, I owe you … how much?"**

**For Fred and George had just scrambled over the backs of their seats and were standing in front of Ludo Bagman with broad grins on their faces, their hands outstretched.**

"You don't need to be pestering him right away about that," Molly glared at them as they shrugged.

"Sorry, Mum, we're just excited about winning," Fred said.

No one notice the disapproving look on Teddy's face, as he thought about how Bagman had cheated the twin.

"That was the end of the chapter," Ron said. "Who wants the read next?"

"I suppose I will," Harry sighed, taking the book from his friend.


	10. The Dark Mark

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Ten

The Dark Mark

"**The Dark Mark,**" Harry read and then frowned, he didn't know what that was but it didn't sound good.

"NO!" everyone that remembered the war yelled, but none as loudly as Molly.

"It can't be!" she gasped.

"What? What is the Dark Mark?" Harry asked.

"It's You-Know-Who's symbol," Hermione said before anyone else could say anything. "I read about in …. well …. I've read about it."

"Voldemort or the Death Eaters would use this to spread fear throughout our community," Remus added with a dark look. "Almost always after they had killed someone."

Harry gulped and noticed how Molly had turned into Arthur's chest seeming to be in great pain and he didn't want to know who had died. He decided to start reading, wishing that he didn't volunteer.

"**Don't tell your mother you've been gambling," Mr. Weasley implored Fred and George as they all made their way slowly down the purple-carpeted stairs.**

Molly didn't have the heart to glare at her husband after hearing what the chapter was called and thinking about the time that she had last seen the Dark Mark.

"**Don't worry, Dad," said Fred gleefully, "we've got big plans for this money. We don't want it confiscated."**

**Mr. Weasley looked for a moment as though he was going to ask what these big plans were, but seemed to decide, upon reflection, that he didn't want to know.**

"Always a good decision, Dad," Fred said in a forced amused voice, he too was thinking about the Dark Mark and knowing that wasn't a good thing to have a chapter named for it.

**They were soon caught up in the crowds now flooding out of the stadium and back to their campsites. Raucous singing was borne toward them on the night air as they retraced their steps along the lantern-lit path, and leprechauns kept shooting over their heads, cackling and waving their lanterns. When they finally reached the tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all, and given the level of noise around them, Mr. Weasley agreed that they could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in. They were soon arguing enjoyably about the match; Mr. Weasley got drawn into a disagreement about cobbing with Charlie, and it was only when Ginny fell asleep right at the tiny table and spilled hot chocolate all over the floor that Mr. Weasley called a halt to the verbal replays and insisted that everyone go to bed.**

"Aw Gin, why did you have to do that," Fred groaned.

"Sorry," Ginny sighed. "But seeing as we hardly had any sleep the night before, it's not surprising."

**Hermione and Ginny went into the next tent, and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys changed into pajamas and clambered into their bunks. From the other side of the campsite they could still hear much singing and the odd echoing bang.**

"**Oh I am glad I'm not on duty," muttered Mr. Weasley sleepily. "I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating."**

"No, that wouldn't be fun at all," Arthur tried to chuckle, but he was wary about what was going to happen soon, for he knew that something must.

**Harry, who was on a top bunk above Ron, lay staring up at the canvas ceiling of the tent, watching the glow of an occasional leprechaun lantern flying overhead, and picturing again some of Krum's more spectacular moves. He was itching to get back on his own Firebolt and try out the Wronski Feint … Somehow Oliver Wood had never managed to convey with all his wriggling diagrams what that move was supposed to look like …**

"Just don't tell Oliver that, I think you would break the poor guy's heart," George chuckled.

**Harry saw himself in robes that had his name on the back, and imagined the sensation of hearing a hundred-thousand-strong crowd roar, as Ludo Bagman's voice echoed throughout the stadium, "I give you … Potter!"**

"I thought you didn't like fame," Hermione said to him.

"This is different," Harry shrugged. "It would for something I would actually accomplish on my own."

**Harry never knew whether or not he had actually dropped off to sleep – his fantasies of flying like Krum might well have slipped into actual dreams - all he knew was that, quite suddenly, Mr. Weasley was shouting.**

Everyone in the room got tense at this and the only thing that could be heard was Harry's voice as he read.

"**Get up! Ron - Harry - come on now, get up, this is urgent!"**

**Harry sat up quickly and the top of his head hit canvas.**

"**S' matter?" he said.**

**Dimly, he could tell that something was wrong. The noises in the campsite had changed. The singing had stopped. He could hear screams, and the sound of people running. He slipped down from the bunk and reached for his clothes, but Mr. Weasley, who had pulled on his jeans over his own pajamas, said, "No time, Harry - just grab a jacket and get outside - quickly!"**

Molly whimpered at this and grabbed onto Arthur's chest more securely.

**Harry did as he was told and hurried out of the tent, Ron at his heels. By the light of the few fires that were still burning, he could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire.**

**Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting toward them; then came a burst of strong green light,**

"NO!" several people gasped.

"It can't be the Killing Curse," Teddy assured everyone. "It would have been foolish for them to do that with so many Ministry officials still around."

This caused a few people to relax slightly, but everyone was still tense.

**which illuminated the scene. A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. Harry squinted at them … They didn't seem to have faces … Then he realized that their heads were hooded and their faces masked.**

"Death Eaters!" Molly groaned.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Voldemort's followers," Sirius hissed.

**High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes. It was as though the masked wizards on the ground were puppeteers, and the people above them were marionettes operated by invisible strings that rose from the wands into the air.**

Everyone shuddered in disgust at this description.

**Two of the figures were very small. More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies. Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled. Once or twice Harry saw one of the marchers blast a tent out of his way with his wand. Several caught fire. The screaming grew louder.**

**The floating people were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent and Harry recognized one of them: Mr. Roberts, the campsite manager. The other three looked as though they might be his wife and children. One of the marchers below flipped Mrs. Roberts upside down with his wand; her nightdress fell down to reveal voluminous drawers and she struggled to cover herself up as the crowd below her screeched and hooted with glee.**

"Laughing …. people actually laughed at that!" Harry huffed angrily, not noticing Sirius and Remus looking at one another. It was different than this, but they could remember a time that something like this happened around them and they had found it amusing. It didn't seem so amusing now.

"Those poor Muggles," Ginny said. "Someone should help them."

"**That's sick," Ron muttered, watching the smallest Muggle child, who had begun to spin like a top, sixty feet above the ground, his head flopping limply from side to side. "That is really sick."**

**Hermione and Ginny came hurrying toward them, pulling coats over their nightdresses, with Mr. Weasley right behind them. At the same moment, Bill, Charlie, and Percy emerged from the boys' tent, fully dressed, with their sleeves rolled up and their wands out.**

"Oh dear," Molly groaned, knowing that they were going to try and help the Muggles. She knew this was the right thing to do, but that didn't mean she couldn't be worried about her sons and husband.

"**We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his own sleeves. "You lot - get into the woods, and stick together. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"**

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Molly fretted more than ever. "Shouldn't Bill or Charlie at least stay with the others in case something happens?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Bill tried to assure his mum.

"It looks like he doesn't know you guys very well, does he?" Neville whispered to Ron who he was sitting next to. He knew the trio ended up at the wrong place and time all of the time. Ron didn't answer him, but he had a feeling that Neville was right, and something bad was going to happen around them.

**Bill, Charlie, and Percy were already sprinting away toward the oncoming marchers; Mr. Weasley tore after them. Ministry wizards were dashing from every direction toward the source of the trouble. The crowd beneath the Roberts family was coming ever closer.**

"**C'mon," said Fred, grabbing Ginny's hand and starting to pull her toward the wood. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and George followed. They all looked back as they reached the trees. The crowd beneath the Roberts family was larger than ever; they could see the Ministry wizards trying to get through it to the hooded wizards in the center, but they were having great difficulty. It looked as though they were scared to perform any spell that might make the Roberts family fall.**

"Which has always been the down side of facing Death Eaters. We actually care about innocent people around us and they don't," Sirius said with a dark look, thinking about the time that he was chasing after the traitor and how the rat had killed twelve innocent people without hesitation.

**The colored lanterns that had lit the path to the stadium had been extinguished. Dark figures were blundering through the trees; children were crying; anxious shouts and panicked voices were reverberating around them in the cold night air.**

**Harry felt himself being pushed hither and thither by people whose faces he could not see. Then he heard Ron yell with pain.**

"Oh no!" Molly gasped, and Harry quickly read on in hopes that his friend wasn't seriously hurt.

"**What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Harry walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh this is stupid - lumos!"**

"Hermione, you're not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts!" Ron gasped.

"I believe this qualifies as being an emergency case," Arthur corrected.

"Besides, it's not like anyone is going to know that she cast the charm with all the wizards there," Bill added.

**She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground.**

"**Tripped over a tree root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again.**

Ron's ears turned red at this as his siblings sniggered.

"**Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them.**

Everyone looked over at Draco with a glare and he looked pale.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned sharply. Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed. His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene at the campsite through a gap in the trees. Ron told Malfoy to do something that Harry knew he would never have dared say in front of Mrs. Weasley.**

And now Molly was looking at Ron with a sharp eye.

"**Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?"**

Everyone's glare at Draco intensified at this, not liking where this was heading.

"Okay, before we go any farther, I think it would be best if you all hand over your wands," Teddy said and everyone looked at him incredulously. "I sorry, but I'm pretty sure that at some point something is going to be said that will make you want to curse each other and it wouldn't be good if that happened."

"That sounds reasonable," Remus responded slowly.

"You know I meant everyone, the adults too," Teddy said to him.

"Yes, I figured as much," Remus chuckled. "It would only be fair. Here you go," he added handing over his wand and showing example for the others. Everyone did as they were told after that, though most of them looked annoyed with having to do this and Draco was the last one to give up his wand, but eventually they were all in a box that Teddy had charmed in advance to not open until everyone in this room (besides the Grangers and Sirius because they didn't have wands) was touching it, making sure that no one snuck their wands back later.

"Just tell me that you're not saying this now because Malfoy say something really stupid," Ron huffed after the box was closed.

"I can't answer that, it's not like I know what your fights between Malfoy are like," Teddy replied. "I just thought there was a change."

**He nodded at Hermione, and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them.**

"**What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione defiantly.**

"**Granger, they're after Muggles," said Malfoy. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around … they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."**

"Hermione's a witch!" Harry, Ron and Ginny all growled and Hermione smiled at their defense of her.

"**Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled.**

"**Have it your own way, Potter," said Malfoy, grinning maliciously. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."**

Everyone was looking at Draco murderously, Ron got out of his sit to charge at him.

"Ron don't," Hermione said, grabbing his hand and pulling him back in the seat. "It doesn't matter, what he says."

"Why do you always do that?" Ron huffed. "It does matter! No one should talk to you like that!" he added and his ears turned red at his declaration and he quickly add, "or any other Muggle-borns."

Hermione smiled at him, touched by what he said. "I say it doesn't matter because it's Malfoy … he's a git that doesn't even know how to think for himself."

"Hey! I do too!" Draco huffed.

"Maybe, but you obviously don't know how to think wisely," Teddy rolled his eyes as everyone glared at him again.

"Honestly Draco, did you ever say anything that you didn't get from your father?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Draco glared at her.

"Well, you haven't showed that to me," Hermione shrugged and then turned back to Ron. "Either way, his insults don't mean anything because to me …." she paused with a blush and then started talking at a different point, "so it would be better if you just stop reacting to this."

"I doubt that will work," Ron grumped, "but I'll try."

"**You watch your mouth!" shouted Ron. Everybody present knew that "Mudblood" was a very offensive term for a witch or wizard of Muggle parentage.**

And that was true about everyone but the Grangers, who were now looking sadly at their daughter.

"You really shouldn't worry about that, anyone with common sense doesn't think this way," Arthur said to them noticing their concern looks.

"**Never mind, Ron," said Hermione quickly, seizing Ron's arm to restrain him as he took a step toward Malfoy. There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard several people nearby screamed. Malfoy chuckled softly.**

"Really …. you find that funny," Harry said and Draco shrugged.

"**Scare easily, don't they?" he said lazily. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to - trying to rescue the Muggles?"**

"**Where're your parents?" said Harry, his temper rising. "Out there wearing masks, are they?"**

**Malfoy turned his face to Harry, still smiling.**

"**Well … if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?"**

"Well that's a admission if I've ever heard one," Ginny glared at him. "Why would you say that?"

"Why not?" Draco shrugged.

"So we're right about it being Death Eaters," Sirius said darkly.

"**Oh come on," said Hermione, with a disgusted look at Malfoy, "let's go and find the others."**

"**Keep that big bushy head down, Granger," sneered Malfoy.**

"**Come on," Hermione repeated, and she pulled Harry and Ron up the path again.**

"How are you able to pull us both?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure how I pushed you at all, but you know Harry's so scrawny it wouldn't take much," Hermione said with a straight face before laughing with the rest of the room as Harry pouted.

"**I'll bet you anything his dad is one of that masked lot!" said Ron hotly.**

"**Well, with any luck, the Ministry will catch him!" said Hermione fervently.**

"I wish, but Lucius is such a slippery git that he'll probably get out of it," Arthur grumbled.

**"Oh I can't believe this. Where have the others got to?"**

"You got separated!" Molly fretted and Harry started reading again quickly.

**Fred, George, and Ginny were nowhere to be seen, though the path was packed with plenty of other people, all looking nervously over their shoulders toward the commotion back at the campsite. A huddle of teenagers in pajamas was arguing vociferously a little way along the path. When they saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a girl with thick curly hair turned and said quickly,**

"**Oü est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue -"**

"Harry, I think you need to work on your French," Juliet pointed out.

"**Er - what?" said Ron.**

"**Oh…" The girl who had spoken turned her back on him, and as they walked on they distinctly heard her say, "Ogwarts."**

"**Beauxbatons," muttered Hermione.**

"Hm …. Hermione, are you trying to say that you don't think much of Beauxbatons?" Fred questioned.

"Of course that's not what I'm saying," Hermione responded.

"Well too bad, because it's obvious that Hogwarts is better," Fred chuckled.

"**Sorry?" said Harry.**

"I'm surprise you didn't ask that as well Harry," Hermione said to him.

"I probably would have if I wasn't the one with the book in my hand," Harry chuckled and then started reading again.

"**They must go to Beauxbatons," said Hermione. "You know … Beauxbatons Academy of Magic … I read about it in An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe."**

"Did anyone tell you that you read too much?" Ron rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you do all the time," Hermione sighed. "And it's not about to change anytime soon."

"**Oh … yeah … right," said Harry.**

"**Fred and George can't have gone that far," said Ron, pulling out his wand, lighting it like Hermione's, and squinting up the path. Harry dug in the pockets of his jacket for his own wand - but it wasn't there. The only thing he could find was his Omnioculars.**

"What?!" several people exclaimed this time.

"You don't have your wand!" Molly and Sirius said in the same terrified voice that it would have been funny if things weren't so tense right now. Harry didn't answer them, deciding to read.

"**Ah, no, I don't believe it… I've lost my wand!"**

"**You're kidding!"**

**Ron and Hermione raised their wands high enough to spread the narrow beams of light farther on the ground; Harry looked all around him, but his wand was nowhere to be seen.**

Harry's voice was now starting to show an edge of panic … he didn't want to lose his wand!

"**Maybe it's back in the tent," said Ron.**

"**Maybe it fell out of your pocket when we were running?" Hermione suggested anxiously.**

"I hope Ron's right because otherwise you'll never find it," Sirius said gravely and Harry grimaced at him before he started reading again.

"**Yeah," said Harry, "maybe …**

**He usually kept his wand with him at all times in the wizarding world, and finding himself without it in the midst of a scene like this made him feel very vulnerable.**

Harry paused for a second as he read this noting to himself that it was extremely weird reading his own thoughts like this when he was feeling the same way.

**A rustling noise nearby made all three of them jump. Winky the house-elf was fighting her way out of a clump of bushes nearby. She was moving in a most peculiar fashion, apparently with great difficulty; it was as though someone invisible were trying to hold her back.**

"That is peculiar," Remus frowned, but he wasn't suspicious, just sad.

"**There is bad wizards about!" she squeaked distractedly as she leaned forward and labored to keep running. "People high - high in the air! Winky is getting out of the way!"**

"I don't blame her," Hermione sighed sadly, not particularly liking heights either.

**And she disappeared into the trees on the other side of the path, panting and squeaking as she fought the force that was restraining her.**

"**What's up with her?" said Ron, looking curiously after Winky. "Why can't she run properly?"**

"**Bet she didn't ask permission to hide," said Harry. He was thinking of Dobby: Every time he had tried to do something the Malfoys wouldn't like, the house-elf had been forced to start beating himself up.**

"That's horrible!" Hermione exclaimed. "Harry, why didn't you tell me this?"

"Er … it didn't really came up… I was thinking more about the warning he was giving me," Harry replied.

"**You know, house-elves get a very raw deal!" said Hermione indignantly. "It's slavery, that's what it is! That Mr. Crouch made her go up to the top of the stadium, and she was terrified, and he's got her bewitched so she can't even run when they start trampling tents! Why doesn't anyone do something about it?"**

"That's a good point, someone should do something about this!" Hermione huffed.

"Er …. I don't think these books are such good things, Hermione is obviously a bad influence on herself!" Ron noted and then coward away from the glare that she sent him.

"**Well, the elves are happy, aren't they?" Ron said. "You heard old Winky back at the match … 'House-elves is not supposed to have fun' … that's what she likes, being bossed around …"**

"Just because they are used to being boss around doesn't mean they really like it," Remus frowned. "They just have been made to believe that it's the only way they can live their lives."

"Thank you Remus," Hermione smiled at him.

"You're welcome," he smiled back but he was looking grave. "But I'll have to warn you that you're going to have a hard time actually getting people to listen to this …. and an even harder time getting the elves on your side …."

"I don't mind hard work," Hermione shrugged.

"**It's people like you, Ron," Hermione began hotly, "who prop up rotten and unjust systems, just because they're too lazy to -"**

"Hey! I have nothing to do with house elves …. I don't even own any!" Ron glared at her.

"I think she's just used to taking her anger out on you and that's why she's yelling at you," George sniggered.

**Another loud bang echoed from the edge of the wood.**

"**Let's just keep moving, shall we?" said Ron, and Harry saw him glance edgily at Hermione. Perhaps there was truth in what Malfoy had said; perhaps Hermione was in more danger than they were.**

"I wouldn't count on that," Sirius shook his head. "You can't tell by looking or any other means what a witch or wizard parentage is."

"Yeah, but if we're right about the Malfoy's being out there they would know that Hermione's a Muggle born," Neville said in a worried voice, he didn't want anything to happen to Hermione.

"That's true, but if you think they're not going to go after Harry Potter if they had a chance …." Sirius started to say but he was making himself so angry he couldn't finish.

**They set off again, Harry still searching his pockets, even though he knew his wand wasn't there.**

**They followed the dark path deeper into the wood, still keeping an eye out for Fred, George, and Ginny. They passed a group of goblins who were cackling over a sack of gold that they had undoubtedly won betting on the match, and who seemed quite unperturbed by the trouble at the campsite. Farther still along the path, they walked into a patch of silvery light, and when they looked through the trees, they saw three tall and beautiful veela standing in a clearing, surrounded by a gaggle of young wizards, all of whom were talking very loudly.**

"**I pull down about a hundred sacks of Galleons a year!" one of them shouted. "I'm a dragon killer for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."**

"If Charlie heard that he would have smacked that guy," Fred chuckled.

"Even though he's obviously lying," Bill smirked. "There's no way that they would make that much gold for doing that job."

"And Charlie probably would have smacked you for that comment," Tonks added with a chuckle.

"That's true," Bill chuckled, too.

"**No, you're not!" yelled his friend. "You're a dishwasher at the Leaky Cauldron … but I'm a ****vampire hunter, I've killed about ninety so far -"**

"And you're friends with a dishwasher," Draco snorted at the feeble lie.

**A third young wizard, whose pimples were visible even by the dim, silvery light of the veela, now cut in, "I'm about to become the youngest ever Minister of Magic, I am."**

"And the worst thing of that is he probably would be a better Minister than Fudge," Remus grumbled under his breath but Teddy heard him and snorted.

**Harry snorted with laughter. He recognized the pimply wizard: His name was Stan Shunpike, and he was in fact a conductor on the triple-decker Knight Bus. He turned to tell Ron this, but Ron's face had gone oddly slack, and next second Ron was yelling, "Did I tell you I've invented a broomstick that'll reach Jupiter?"**

Everyone laughed at this as Ron bowed his his head, his ears glowing red in embarrassment.

"Really Ron, I would love to borrow that broomstick!" Fred laughed.

"Leave him alone," Molly glared at Fred and motioned Harry to keep reading.

"**Honestly!" said Hermione, and she and Harry grabbed Ron firmly by the arms, wheeled him around, and marched him away. By the time the sounds of the veela and their admirers had faded completely, they were in the very heart of the wood. They seemed to be alone now; everything was much quieter.**

**Harry looked around. "I reckon we can just wait here, you know. We'll hear anyone coming a mile off."**

"I don't know, it probably would be better if you were near other people," Molly said worriedly.

"She's right, it would be safer," Remus frowned, looking quite worried himself.

**The words were hardly out of his mouth, when Ludo Bagman emerged from behind a tree right ahead of them.**

**Even by the feeble light of the two wands, Harry could see that a great change had come over Bagman. He no longer looked buoyant and rosy-faced; there was no more spring in his step. He looked very white and strained.**

"Is he running away from the mask man at the camp?" Ginny interrupted looking shocked and disappointed.

"I don't know," Arthur replied frowning, Bagman didn't strike him as someone that would just run away, but he couldn't think of anything else that would explain this.

"**Who's that?" he said, blinking down at them, trying to make out their faces. "What are you doing in here, all alone?"**

**They looked at one another, surprised.**

"**Well - there's a sort of riot going on," said Ron.**

**Bagman stared at him.**

"**What?"**

"Er …. he doesn't know what's going on?" Fred asked looking shock.

"Well, at least his not a coward," Sirius stated in defense of his idol but was looking just as confused as everyone else at Bagman's behavior.

"**At the campsite… some people have got hold of a family of Muggles…"**

**Bagman swore loudly.**

"**Damn them!" he said, looking quite distracted, and without another word, he Disapparated with a small pop!**

"**Not exactly on top of things, Mr. Bagman, is he?" said Hermione, frowning.**

"**He was a great Beater, though," said Ron, leading the way off the path into a small clearing, and sitting down on a patch of dry grass at the foot of a tree. "The Wimbourne Wasps won the league three times in a row while he was with them."**

"That might be true, but his games for the English side was when he really shined," Sirius smiled.

**He took his small figure of Krum out of his pocket, set it down on the ground, and watched it walk around. Like the real Krum, the model was slightly duck-footed and round-shouldered, much less impressive on his splayed feet than on his broomstick.**

"Then they should give the poor figure a broomstick to fly around with," George snorted.

**Harry was listening for noise from the campsite. Everything seemed much quieter; perhaps the riot was over.**

"**I hope the others are okay," said Hermione after a while.**

"**They'll be fine," said Ron.**

"**Imagine if your dad catches Lucius Malfoy," said Harry, sitting down next to Ron and watching the small figure of Krum slouching over the fallen leaves. "He's always said he'd like to get something on him."**

"**That'd wipe the smirk off old Draco's face, all right," said Ron.**

"You just talking about it doesn't seem to be doing anything to his smirk though," Fred sighed.

"Why shouldn't I be smirking, there's no way that would ever happen," Draco shrugged.

"**Those poor Muggles, though," said Hermione nervously. "What if they can't get them down?"**

"**They will," said Ron reassuringly. "They'll find a way."**

"**Mad, though, to do something like that when the whole Ministry of Magic's out here tonight!" said Hermione. "I mean, how do they expect to get away with it? Do you think they've been drinking, or are they just -"**

"Brainless gits," George suggested.

"As if they really have to worry about the Ministry," Draco rolled his eyes. "As it was just proven in this chapter, they're rather useless."

**But she broke off abruptly and looked over her shoulder. Harry and Ron looked quickly around too. It sounded as though someone was staggering toward their clearing. They waited, listening to the sounds of the uneven steps behind the dark trees. But the footsteps came to a sudden halt.**

"No, no, no, no …." Molly started to chant as Arthur pulled her closer to him.

"**Hello?" called Harry.**

"Don't call to them!" Sirius groaned. "Get out of there!"

**There was silence. Harry got to his feet and peered around the tree. It was too dark to see very far, but he could sense somebody standing just beyond the range of his vision.**

"You can sense people?" Remus questioned, shocked but didn't mind that Harry didn't stop reading because he wanted to know what was going to happen next.

"**Who's there?" he said.**

**And then, without warning, the silence was rent by a voice unlike any they had heard in the wood; and it uttered, not a panicked shout, but what sounded like a spell.**

"**MORSMORDRE!"**

**And something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness Harry's eyes had been struggling to penetrate; it flew up over the treetops and into the sky.**

At chill went through Arthur, Molly, Remus, Sirius, Bill and Tonk's spine as they all realized and remembered what this was.

"**What the?" gasped Ron as he sprang to his feet again, staring up at the thing that had appeared.**

**For a split second, Harry thought it was another leprechaun formation. Then he realized that it was a colossal skull, comprised of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As they watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation.**

"You didn't need to be so accurate with your description," Sirius grimaced as everyone shuddered.

**Suddenly, the wood all around them erupted with screams. Harry didn't understand why, but the only possible cause was the sudden appearance of the skull, which had now risen high enough to illuminate the entire wood like some grisly neon sign. He scanned the darkness for the person who had conjured the skull, but he couldn't see anyone.**

"It's so odd that you don't know anything about something like this," Percy mused aloud without realizing it.

"**Who's there?" he called again.**

"HARRY!" Sirius shouted causing Harry to jump.

"What?" Harry asked looking at him shocked.

"YOU DO NOT ASK WHO'S THERE WHEN YOU SEE THE DARK MARK BEING SUMMONED!" Sirius continued to shout.

"Only a Death Eater could have summoned that," Remus added in a quiet tone, his face was pale. "Do you have any idea how much danger you're in?!"

Harry didn't know what to say to that and he didn't like how worried everyone was looking now, so he just started reading, hoping that things weren't as bad as they seemed.

"**Harry, come on, move!" Hermione had seized the collar of his jacket and was tugging him backward.**

"At least someone knows what's going on," Sirius said, looking gratefully at Hermione, or at least she thought it was supposed to be a grateful expression, it was hard to tell because he was still looking angry and scared.

"It's funny how it's always her that's the one," Fred gulped in a shaky voice that didn't help lighten the mood like he wanted it to.

"**What's the matter?" Harry said, startled to see her face so white and terrified.**

"**It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione moaned, pulling him as hard as she could. "You-Know-Who's sign!"**

"**Voldemort's -"**

**"Harry, come on!"**

**Harry turned - Ron was hurriedly scooping up his miniature Krum - the three of them started across the clearing - but before they had taken a few hurried steps, a series of popping noises announced the arrival of twenty wizards, appearing from thin air, surrounding them.**

**Harry whirled around, and in an instant, he registered one fact: Each of these wizards had his wand out, and every wand was pointing right at himself, Ron, and Hermione.**

"NO!" several people cried.

**Without pausing to think, he yelled, "DUCK!"**

**He seized the other two and pulled them down onto the ground.**

"**STUPEFY!" roared twenty voices -**

"What are they thinking?!" Molly gasped, knowing that it would be bad for anyone to be hit by that many Stunning Spells.

"It's a good thing Harry pulled you down," Teddy said looking slightly shocked by this too.

**there was a blinding series of flashes and Harry felt the hair on his head ripple as though a powerful wind had swept the clearing. Raising his head a fraction of an inch he saw jets of fiery red light flying over them from the wizards' wands, crossing one another, bouncing off tree trunks, rebounding into the darkness—**

"**Stop!" yelled a voice he recognized. "STOP! That's my son!"**

"Good," Molly muttered giving Arthur a weak smile, she was glad that he was there with them, feeling that the danger should be over …. for this chapter at least.

**Harry's hair stopped blowing about. He raised his head a little higher. The wizard in front of him had lowered his wand. He rolled over and saw Mr. Weasley striding toward them, looking terrified.**

"**Ron - Harry" - his voice sounded shaky - "Hermione - are you all right?"**

"**Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold, curt voice.**

**It was Mr. Crouch.**

Sirius growled at this as Percy tried to look disapproving at him, but couldn't quite manage it.

**He and the other Ministry wizards were closing in on them. Harry got to his feet to face them. Mr. Crouch's face was taut with rage.**

"**Which of you did it?" he snapped, his sharp eyes darting between them. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"**

"He can't seriously think that any of you conjured that?!" Tonks said in disbelief. "When would you have been able to learn that?"

"I thought you said that Crouch was smart Perce, that's got to be one of the dumbest questions I've ever heard of," George stated.

"He's probably under a lot of stress with everything that's going on right now," Percy defended his boss automatically.

"**We didn't do that!" said Harry, gesturing up at the skull.**

"**We didn't do anything!" said Ron, who was rubbing his elbow and looking indignantly at his father. "What did you want to attack us for?"**

"For being at the wrong place at the wrong time," Sirius spat a little too empathetically to this situation.

"**Do not lie, sir!" shouted Mr. Crouch. His wand was still pointing directly at Ron, and his eyes were popping - he looked slightly mad. "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"**

"He sounds slightly mad," Arthur noted, looking worried and he wasn't the only one. Percy had never seen his boss act this way and he was worried about him.

"**Barty," whispered a witch in a long woolen dressing gown, "they're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to."**

"Not to mention they're Saint Potter, a blood traitor and a M …. Muggle-born," Draco said quelling a little at the glares he was getting by the others, but he couldn't help but add. "I don't know if anyone is less likely to conjure the Dark Mark than you three."

"**Where did the Mark come from, you three?" said Mr. Weasley quickly.**

"**Over there," said Hermione shakily, pointing at the place where they had heard the voice. "There was someone behind the trees… they shouted words – an incantation -"**

"**Oh, stood over there, did they?" said Mr. Crouch, turning his popping eyes on Hermione now, disbelief etched all over his face. "Said an incantation, did they? You seem very well informed about how that Mark is summoned, missy -"**

"Seriously, did he get hit by a curse that affected his brain or something?" Fred asked, almost laughing.

**But none of the Ministry wizards apart from Mr. Crouch seemed to think it remotely likely that Harry, Ron, or Hermione had conjured the skull; on the contrary, at Hermione's words, they had all raised their wands again and were pointing in the direction she had indicated, squinting through the dark trees.**

"**We're too late," said the witch in the woolen dressing gown, shaking her head. "They'll have Disapparated."**

"That's true, no one would have been stupid enough to stay at the scene of the crime," Remus mused thoughtfully.

"Well, except for those three," Fred nodded towards the trio.

"I didn't know what it meant," Harry shrugged.

"**I don't think so," said a wizard with a scrubby brown beard. It was Amos Diggory, Cedric's father. "Our Stunners went right through those trees … There's a good chance we got them …"**

"He has a good point too, though I don't know why the guy wouldn't disapparate after casting that spell," Arthur agreed.

"Well, Harry didn't think about hearing a popping sound, so it's actually feasible that the guy is still there," Tonks nodded thoughtfully.

"I hope they catch him," Molly mumbled as Harry started reading again.

"**Amos, be careful!" said a few of the wizards warningly as Mr. Diggory squared his shoulders, raised his wand, marched across the clearing, and disappeared into the darkness. Hermione watched him vanish with her hands over her mouth. A few seconds later, they heard Mr. Diggory shout.**

"**Yes! We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious! It's - but – blimey …"**

"Someone recognizable then …." Sirius muttered.

"**You've got someone?" shouted Mr. Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving. "Who? Who is it?"**

**They heard snapping twigs, the rustling of leaves, and then crunching footsteps as Mr. Diggory reemerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms. Harry recognized the tea towel at once. It was Winky.**

"What?" severally people said and everyone looked shocked at this.

"She couldn't have conjured the Dark Mark though," Remus was the first to get out of his shock. "From Harry's description, the voice sounded nothing like an elf."

"Then what's she doing there?" Bill frowned. "It seems odd that she would just be hanging around in the bush that they had heard the voice from."

"Maybe she heard the voice too, and wanted to see who was talking," Hermione suggested.

"Maybe …. I don't think we can figure this out on our own," Remus also frowned. "Harry keep reading."

**Mr. Crouch did not move or speak as Mr. Diggory deposited his elf on the ground at his feet. The other Ministry wizards were all staring at Mr. Crouch. For a few seconds Crouch remained transfixed, his eyes blazing in his white face as he stared down at Winky. Then he appeared to come to life again.**

"**This - cannot - be," he said jerkily. "No -"**

**He moved quickly around Mr. Diggory and strode off toward the place where he had found Winky.**

"I bet he's trying to find someone else to blame," Sirius suggested darkly. "Won't want to be associated with something that was connected to the dark arts."

"Er ... what do you …?" Harry started to ask.

"That's a long story and not really important to what's happening," Arthur interrupted him with a sad expression on his face and Harry reluctantly started reading again.

"**No point, Mr. Crouch," Mr. Diggory called after him. "There's no one else there."**

**But Mr. Crouch did not seem prepared to take his word for it. They could hear him moving around and the rustling of leaves as he pushed the bushes aside, searching.**

"**Bit embarrassing," Mr. Diggory said grimly, looking down at Winky's unconscious form. "Barty Crouch's house-elf… I mean to say…"**

"**Come off it, Amos," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "you don't seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand."**

"**Yeah," said Mr. Diggory, "and she had a wand."**

Yet again everyone was shock by this information, but it was still hard for them to believe that the elf had anything to do with this. Still something funny was going on here.

"**What?" said Mr. Weasley.**

"**Here, look." Mr. Diggory held up a wand and showed it to Mr. Weasley. "Had it in her hand. So that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken, for a start. No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand."**

"They can't even carry a wand," Hermione huffed. "What if they were just handing it to their owner?"

"It would be all right," Arthur assured her. "It means they're not allowed to own or have a wand for a long time …."

"That's not making this sound any better," Hermione frowned.

**Just then there was another pop, and Ludo Bagman Apparated right next to Mr. Weasley. Looking breathless and disorientated, he spun on the spot, goggling upward at the emerald-green skull.**

"**The Dark Mark!" he panted, almost trampling Winky as he turned inquiringly to his colleagues. "Who did it? Did you get them? Barty! What's going on?"**

**Mr. Crouch had returned empty-handed. His face was still ghostly white, and his hands and his toothbrush mustache were both twitching.**

"**Where have you been, Barty?" said Bagman. "Why weren't you at the match? Your elf was saving you a seat too - gulping gargoyles!" Bagman had just noticed Winky lying at his feet. "What happened to her?"**

"**I have been busy, Ludo," said Mr. Crouch,**

"Busy… during the Quidditch World Cup!" Sirius shouted looking offended. "What's the matter with him?!"

"There are more important thing than a Quidditch match," Percy again defended his boss automatically.

**still talking in the same jerky fashion, barely moving his lips. "And my elf has been stunned."**

"**Stunned? By you lot, you mean? But why -?"**

**Comprehension dawned suddenly on Bagman's round, shiny face; he looked up at the skull, down at Winky, and then at Mr. Crouch.**

"**No!" he said. "Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn't know how! She'd need a wand, for a start!"**

"**And she had one," said Mr. Diggory. "I found her holding one, Ludo. If it's all right with you, Mr. Crouch, I think we should hear what she's got to say for herself."**

"This won't be good," Remus grimaced, he could only imagine how badly the elf was going to react.

**Crouch gave no sign that he had heard Mr. Diggory, but Mr. Diggory seemed to take his silence for assent. He raised his own wand, pointed it at Winky, and said, "Ennervate!"**

**Winky stirred feebly. Her great brown eyes opened and she blinked several times in a bemused sort of way. Watched by the silent wizards, she raised herself shakily into a sitting position.**

**She caught sight of Mr. Diggory's feet, and slowly, tremulously, raised her eyes to stare up into his face; then, more slowly still, she looked up into the sky. Harry could see the floating skull reflected twice in her enormous, glassy eyes. She gave a gasp, looked wildly around the crowded clearing, and burst into terrified sobs.**

"**Elf!" said Mr. Diggory sternly. "Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures!"**

"That's not good for her," Bill frowned, he's heard the goblins talk about that department and it was never very flattering.

**Winky began to rock backward and forward on the ground, her breath coming in sharp bursts.**

**Harry was reminded forcibly of Dobby in his moments of terrified disobedience.**

"**As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago," said Mr. Diggory. "And you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!"**

"**I - I - I is not doing it, sir!" Winky gasped. "I is not knowing how, sir!"**

"**You were found with a wand in your hand!" barked Mr. Diggory, brandishing it in front of her.**

"He doesn't have to be so mean to her," Hermione grumbled.

**And as the wand caught the green light that was filling the clearing from the skull above, Harry recognized it.**

"**Hey - that's mine!" he said.**

"What?!" everyone gasped.

"How did that happened?" Harry asked looking at the book as if he was expecting it to answer him.

"I don't know …. maybe the guy found it wherever you dropped it?" Ron answered uncertainly.

"At least this means you didn't lose your wand," Tonks pointed out to him.

"That is good," Harry said, feeling slightly better about that before he grimaced. "But I don't think I like the fact that it was used to conjure the Dark Mark."

**Everyone in the clearing looked at him.**

"**Excuse me?" said Mr. Diggory, incredulously.**

"**That's my wand!" said Harry. "I dropped it!"**

"**You dropped it?" repeated Mr. Diggory in disbelief. "Is this a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"**

"Has everyone gone mad?" Sirius declared.

"And when Sirius is the one asking that question, you know something wrong," Tonks teased causing most of the room to smile at least and several people to laugh.

"**Amos, think who you're talking to!" said Mr. Weasley, very angrily. "Is Harry Potter likely to conjure the Dark Mark?"**

"**Er - of course not," mumbled Mr. Diggory. "Sorry … carried away …"**

"**I didn't drop it there, anyway," said Harry, jerking his thumb toward the trees beneath the skull. "I missed it right after we got into the wood."**

"**So," said Mr. Diggory, his eyes hardening as he turned to look at Winky again, cowering at his feet. "You found this wand, eh, elf? And you picked it up and thought you'd have some fun with it, did you?"**

"He really shouldn't be so hard on her," Juliet interrupted this time with a frown.

"This is a legitimate interrogation technique," Tonks sighed. "She is a suspect until proven otherwise."

"**I is not doing magic with it, sir!" squealed Winky, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed and bulbous nose. "I is… I is… I is just picking it up, sir! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, I is not knowing how!"**

"**It wasn't her!" said Hermione. She looked very nervous, speaking up in front of all these Ministry wizards, yet determined all the same.**

"As if Hermione would ever let nerves shut her up," Ron chuckled.

"And think, seventy percent of that statement was a compliment," Ginny also chuckled.

"It was all a compliment," Ron frowned at his sister.

**"Winky's got a squeaky little voice, and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!" She looked around at Harry and Ron, appealing for their support. "It didn't sound anything like Winky, did it?"**

"**No," said Harry, shaking his head. "It definitely didn't sound like an elf."**

"**Yeah, it was a human voice," said Ron.**

"You know when you look around for support, it makes it less likely that the person interrogating you is going to believe you," Tonks informed them.

"It's the truth …. and why do you know so much about interrogations?" Harry asked.

"I just went over it in my Auror training," Tonks shrugged.

"**Well, we'll soon see," growled Mr. Diggory, looking unimpressed. "There's a simple way of discovering the last spell a wand performed, elf, did you know that?"**

**Winky trembled and shook her head frantically, her ears flapping, as Mr. Diggory raised his own wand again and placed it tip to tip with Harry's.**

"You know if you think of that another way… that sentence is really …" Fred started to say sniggering.

"FREDRICK GIDEON WEASLEY!" Molly exclaimed causing everyone to jump. "I don't want to hear you talking about things like that!"

"**Prior Incantato!" roared Mr. Diggory.**

**Harry heard Hermione gasp, horrified, as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, but it was a mere shadow of the green skull high above them; it looked as though it were made of thick gray smoke: the ghost of a spell.**

"So my wand really did conjure the mark," Harry sighed.

"Not yet it hasn't," Sirius pointed out to cheer him up and it seemed to work.

"**Deletrius!" Mr. Diggory shouted, and the smoky skull vanished in a wisp of smoke.**

"**So," said Mr. Diggory with a kind of savage triumph, looking down upon Winky, who was still shaking convulsively.**

"**I is not doing it!" she squealed, her eyes rolling in terror. "I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how! I is a good elf, I isn't using wands, I isn't knowing how!"**

"**You've been caught red-handed, elf!" Mr. Diggory roared. "Caught with the guilty wand in your hand!"**

"But that only proves that she was holding the wand …. which admittedly isn't good, but it doesn't prove that she did it," Duncan frowned.

"**Amos," said Mr. Weasley loudly, "think about it … precious few wizards know how to do that spell… Where would she have learned it?"**

"**Perhaps Amos is suggesting," said Mr. Crouch, cold anger in every syllable, "that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"**

**There was a deeply unpleasant silence. Amos Diggory looked horrified.**

"Obviously that's not something that he was trying to suggest," Sirius muttered.

"Of course not, Crouch is still powerful in the Ministry," Tonks said. "He's not someone you would want against you."

"And you know this how?" Sirius asked.

"Mad Eye taught me everything about the Ministry before he retired almost two years ago," Tonks answered.

**"Mr. Crouch … not … not at all."**

"**You have now come very close to accusing the two people in this clearing who are least likely to conjure that Mark!" barked Mr. Crouch. "Harry Potter – and myself. I suppose you are familiar with the boy's story, Amos?" '**

"Er …. didn't Crouch accuse Harry too?" Juliet pointed out and everyone nodded their head.

"Hypocrite," Fred huffed and Percy glared at him, but couldn't say anything.

"**Of course - everyone knows -" muttered Mr. Diggory, looking highly discomforted.**

"**And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given, over a long career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them?" Mr. Crouch shouted, his eyes bulging again.**

"Well he's got that one right, if nothing else," Sirius grumbled darkly.

"**Mr. Crouch, I - I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" Amos Diggory muttered again, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.**

"**If you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" shouted Mr. Crouch. "Where else would she have learned to conjure it?"**

"**She - she might've picked it up anywhere -"**

"**Precisely, Amos," said Mr. Weasley. "She might have picked it up anywhere … Winky?" he said kindly, turning to the elf, but she flinched as though he too was shouting at her.**

Arthur sighed, wishing he didn't have to scare the elf more than she already was.

**"Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?"**

**Winky was twisting the hem of her tea towel so violently that it was fraying beneath her fingers.**

As he read this Harry felt a little odd. He remembered when Dobby did something like that he was trying to tell him something that he wasn't supposed and couldn't really say.

"**I - I is finding it … finding it there, sir …" she whispered, "there … in the trees, sir."**

"**You see, Amos?" said Mr. Weasley. "Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, leaving Harry's wand behind. A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand moments later and pick it up."**

"**But then, she'd have been only a few feet away from the real culprit!" said Mr. Diggory impatiently. "Elf? Did you see anyone?"**

**Winky began to tremble worse than ever. Her giant eyes flickered from Mr. Diggory, to Ludo Bagman, and onto Mr. Crouch. Then she gulped and said, "I is seeing no one, sir … no one …"**

Again Harry was reminded of Dobby when he wasn't allowed to say something, but he wasn't sure what this meant. He also wondered why his book self didn't comment on this, but figured that the book Harry was probably a lot more stressed out than he was at the moment.

"**Amos," said Mr. Crouch curtly, "I am fully aware that, in the ordinary course of events, you would want to take Winky into your department for questioning. I ask you, however, to allow me to deal with her."**

**Mr. Diggory looked as though he didn't think much of this suggestion at all, but it was clear to Harry that Mr. Crouch was such an important member of the Ministry that he did not dare refuse him.**

"That doesn't seem right," Duncan frowned. "Everyone should be treated equally no matter what position they hold …. though of course it's not really that surprising it works that way."

"**You may rest assured that she will be punished," Mr. Crouch added coldly.**

"**M-m-master …" Winky stammered, looking up at Mr. Crouch, her eyes brimming with tears. "M-m-master, p-p-please …"**

**Mr. Crouch stared back, his face somehow sharpened, each line upon it more deeply etched. There was no pity in his gaze.**

"**Winky has behaved tonight in a manner I would not have believed possible," he said slowly. "I told her to remain in the tent. I told her to stay there while I went to sort out the trouble. And I find that she disobeyed me. This means clothes."**

"That's a punishment?" Harry said after reading this.

"I thought that was the only way that a house elf could be freed," Hermione added, looking just as confused as Harry. "That's what you said at least, after you tricked Malfoy into giving Dobby your sock."

"You're right Hermione," Remus said. "But like I tried to tell you earlier, house elves don't like to be freed, especially like this. They think it's a disgrace."

"That's just wrong," Hermione sighed.

"**No!" shrieked Winky, prostrating herself at Mr. Crouch's feet. "No, master! Not clothes, not clothes!"**

**Harry knew that the only way to turn a house-elf free was to present it with proper garments. It was pitiful to see the way Winky clutched at her tea towel as she sobbed over Mr. Crouch's feet.**

"**But she was frightened!" Hermione burst out angrily, glaring at Mr. Crouch. "Your elf's scared of heights, and those wizards in masks were levitating people! You can't blame her for wanting to get out of their way!"**

"You go Hermione," the twins and Ginny cheered.

"You really are a Gryffindor aren't you," Tonks chuckled. "I was starting to think you were a Ravenclaw in disguise."

"You shouldn't have said that, Hermione," Percy huffed. "You don't really understand …."

"Oi, stuff it Percy," Ron glared at him, catching his brother by surprise.

**Mr. Crouch took a step backward, freeing himself from contact with the elf, whom he was surveying as though she were something filthy and rotten that was contaminating his over-shined shoes.**

"**I have no use for a house-elf who disobeys me," he said coldly, looking over at Hermione. "I have no use for a servant who forgets what is due to her master, and to her master's reputation."**

Teddy was frowning now, having meet Winky in the future and realize that she would never be the same elf she was before this incident.

**Winky was crying so hard that her sobs echoed around the clearing. There was a very nasty silence, which was ended by Mr. Weasley, who said quietly, "Well, I think I'll take my lot back to the tent, if nobody's got any objections. Amos, that wand's told us all it can - if Harry could have it back, please -"**

"Yes, do get away from this lot of idiots," Sirius snarled. "I don't think I can take anymore stupidity."

**Mr. Diggory handed Harry his wand and Harry pocketed it.**

"**Come on, you three," Mr. Weasley said quietly. But Hermione didn't seem to want to move; her eyes were still upon the sobbing elf. "Hermione!" Mr. Weasley said, more urgently. She turned and followed Harry and Ron out of the clearing and off through the trees.**

"**What's going to happen to Winky?" said Hermione, the moment they had left the clearing.**

"**I don't know," said Mr. Weasley.**

"**The way they were treating her!" said Hermione furiously. "Mr. Diggory, calling her 'elf' all the time… and Mr. Crouch! He knows she didn't do it and he's still going to sack her! He didn't care how frightened she'd been, or how upset she was - it was like she wasn't even human!"**

"She's not," Ron pointed out and Hermione glared at him murderously. "Well, she not."

"Just because she's not a human doesn't mean you can ignore her feelings!" Hermione huffed.

"And I never said that they should!" Ron huffed back in returned. "I was just pointing out to you that she's no human!"

Harry started reading again, well too familiar with Ron and Hermione's arguments …. he wasn't pleased when the book displayed the same fight.

"**Well, she's not," said Ron.**

**Hermione rounded on him.**

"**That doesn't mean she hasn't got feelings, Ron. It's disgusting the way -"**

"**Hermione, I agree with you," said Mr. Weasley quickly, beckoning her on, "but now is not the time to discuss elf rights. I want to get back to the tent as fast as we can. What happened to the others?"**

"**We lost them in the dark," said Ron. "Dad, why was everyone so uptight about that skull thing?"**

"Even you don't know that," Draco gasped in surprised.

"It's not like this was something people like to talk about," Ron grumbled under his breath. "Well not decent people anyway …. I supposed I don't have to ask why you've heard of it."

"**I'll explain everything back at the tent," said Mr. Weasley tensely.**

**But when they reached the edge of the wood, their progress was impeded. A large crowd of frightened-looking witches and wizards was congregated there, and when they saw Mr. Weasley coming toward them, many of them surged forward.**

"**What's going on in there?"**

"**Who conjured it?"**

"**Arthur - it's not - Him?"**

"**Of course it's not Him," said Mr. Weasley impatiently. "We don't know who it was; it looks like they Disapparated. Now excuse me, please, I want to get to bed."**

Molly was at two minds with this statement. Wanting them all to get back to the tent (and more importantly the Burrow) as soon as possible especially since she was worried about the others. At the same time she knew how hard it would be for those people to be brushed off with so little information.

**He led Harry, Ron, and Hermione through the crowd and back into the campsite.**

**All was quiet now; there was no sign of the masked wizards, though several ruined tents were still smoking.**

**Charlie's head was poking out of the boys' tent.**

"**Dad, what's going on?" he called through the dark. "Fred, George, and Ginny got back okay, but the others -"**

"It's funny how we all leave the tent at the same time and place but it's you three that in up in trouble and we probably didn't run into anything interesting," George frowned.

"We're just lucky that way," Harry grimaced.

"I wish you weren't so lucky than," Molly and Remus said at the same time.

"**I've got them here," said Mr. Weasley, bending down and entering the tent. Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered after him.**

**Bill was sitting at the small kitchen table, holding a bedsheet to his arm, which was bleeding profusely.**

"Oh dear, what happened?" Molly asked looking worriedly at her son who was rolling his eyes.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Mum," he said but that didn't seemed to stop her for worrying. Teddy was frowning at this, wondering how Molly was going to take Bill getting attacked my Fenrir …. or when George would lose an ear …. or …. he looked at Fred sadly, unable to finish that thought.

**Charlie had a large rip in his shirt, and Percy was sporting a bloody nose. Fred, George, and Ginny looked unhurt, though shaken.**

"**Did you get them, Dad?" said Bill sharply. "The person who conjured the Mark?"**

"**No," said Mr. Weasley. "We found Barry Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the Mark."**

"**What?" said Bill, Charlie, and Percy together. "Harry's wand?" said Fred.**

"**Mr. Crouch's elf" said Percy, sounding thunderstruck.**

"Yes, yes, it's all very shocking news," Sirius mumbled.

**With some assistance from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Mr. Weasley explained what had happened in the woods. When they had finished their story, Percy swelled indignantly.**

"**Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that!" he said. "Running away when he'd expressly told her not to… embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry… how would that have looked, if she'd been brought up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control"**

"Excuse me! You can't be serious?!" Hermione glared at Percy, "And do you really care about appearances that much that you would convict an innocent person …. or creature in this case."

"I wouldn't call her innocent, she shouldn't have been out in the woods like that," Percy said obviously taken aback by her yelling at him like that. She looked at him incredulously but neither one of them spoke again so Harry thought it was best if he just keep reading.

"**She didn't do anything - she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione snapped at Percy, who looked very taken aback. Hermione had always got on fairly well with Percy - better, indeed, than any of the others.**

"When you think of it like that, it's almost like Hermione is one of his siblings," Ginny pointed out.

"Yeah, well …." Harry said shrugging, not telling them that he sort of thought of them all as family and that's probably why he thought it this way.

"**Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!" said Percy pompously, recovering himself.**

"**She didn't run amok!" shouted Hermione. "She just picked it up off the ground!"**

"**Look, can someone just explain what that skull thing was?" said Ron impatiently. "It wasn't hurting anyone … Why's it such a big deal?"**

"I think Ron's impatient because he doesn't like Hermione arguing with anyone else," Fred teased and Ron's ears turn red.

"**I told you, it's You-Know-Who's symbol, Ron," said Hermione, before anyone else could answer. "I read about it in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts."**

"**And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," said Mr. Weasley quietly. "Of course people panicked … it was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again."**

"Don't say that, Arthur!" Molly said shuddering.

"**I don't get it," said Ron, frowning. "I mean… it's still only a shape in the sky…"**

"**Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed," said Mr. Weasley. "The terror it inspired … you have no idea, you're too young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're ****about to find inside …" Mr. Weasley winced. "Everyone's worst fear … the very worst."**

Molly was quivering in Arthur's arms again after this explanation, knowing this feeling first hand.

**There was silence for a moment. Then Bill, removing the sheet from his arm to check on his cut, said, "Well, it didn't help us tonight, whoever conjured it. It scared the Death Eaters away the moment they saw it. They all Disapparated before we'd got near enough to unmask any of them. We caught the Robertses before they hit the ground, though. They're having their memories modified right now."**

"Well that good," Juliet said, relieved that the Muggles weren't hurt permanently.

"**Death Eaters?" said Harry. "What are Death Eaters?"**

"**It's what You-Know-Who's supporters called themselves," said Bill. "I think we saw what's left of them tonight - the ones who managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban, anyway."**

"**We can't prove it was them, Bill," said Mr. Weasley. "Though it probably was," he added hopelessly.**

"**Yeah, I bet it was!" said Ron suddenly. "Dad, we met Draco Malfoy in the woods, and he as good as told us his dad was one of those nutters in masks! And we all know the Malfoys were right in with You-Know-Who!"**

"Yes, all nice theories but I don't see how that helps you at all," Draco smirked at him. "It's not like anyone is going to listen to you if you start accusing Dad of doing this."

"He's right about that," Arthur huffed darkly, hating that the Ministry seemed to do as Malfoy said.

"**But what were Voldemort's supporters -" Harry began. Everybody flinched – like most of the wizarding world, the Weasleys always avoided saying Voldemort's name. "Sorry," said Harry quickly. "What were You-Know-Who's supporters up to, levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"**

"**The point?" said Mr. Weasley with a hollow laugh. "Harry, that's their idea of fun. Half the Muggle killings back when You-Know-Who was in power were done for fun. I suppose they had a few drinks tonight and couldn't resist reminding us all that lots of them are still at large. A nice little reunion for them," he finished disgustedly.**

"**But if they were the Death Eaters, why did they Disapparate when they saw the Dark Mark?" said Ron. "They'd have been pleased to see it, wouldn't they?"**

"**Use your brains, Ron," said Bill. "If they really were Death Eaters, they worked very hard to keep out of Azkaban when You-Know-Who lost power, and told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people. I bet they'd be even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back. They denied they'd ever been involved with him when he lost his powers, and went back to their daily lives… I don't reckon he'd be over-pleased with them, do you?"**

"How am I supposed to know that?" Ron glared at his eldest brother from what he said at the beginning of this explanation. "It's not like I know anything about the way either the Death Eater or You-Know-Who thinks!"

"Sorry," Bill sighed.

"**So … whoever conjured the Dark Mark …" said Hermione slowly, "were they doing it to show ****support for the Death Eaters, or to scare them away?"**

"I'm not sure the reason …. but I doubt it was support," Sirius said. "As Bill just said, that sign would scare the crap out of them …."

"And it would have to be a Death Eater that sent it, they were the only ones that knew how," Remus added.

"**Your guess is as good as ours, Hermione," said Mr. Weasley. "But I'll tell you this … it was only the Death Eaters who ever knew how to conjure it. I'd be very surprised if the person who did it hadn't been a Death Eater once, even if they're not now …**

"I didn't know you could stop being a Death Eater," Fred stated.

"You can't …. not if you expect to live much after you quit," Sirius said with a frown, thinking of his brother that he knew had been a Death Eater and was killed because he wanted to stop.

**Listen, it's very late, and if your mother hears what's happened she'll be worried sick. We'll get a few more hours sleep and then try and get an early Portkey out of here."**

**Harry got back into his bunk with his head buzzing. He knew he ought to feel exhausted: It was nearly three in the morning, but he felt wide-awake – wide awake, and worried.**

**Three days ago - it felt like much longer, but it had only been three days - he had awoken with his scar burning.**

"Argh! Did you have to remind us of that?" Sirius groaned and everyone was starting to get an uncomfortable feeling about what this all meant.

**And tonight, for the first time in thirteen years, Lord Voldemort's mark had appeared in the sky. What did these things mean? He thought of the letter he had written to Sirius before leaving Privet Drive. Would Sirius have gotten it yet? When would he reply? Harry lay looking up at the canvas, but no flying fantasies came to him now to ease him to sleep, and it was a long time after Charlie's snores filled the tent that Harry finally dozed off.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Harry said holding out the book for the next person to take.

"I guess I'll read next," Neville sighed, taking the book from him.


	11. Mayhem at the Ministry

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Eleven

Mayhem at the Ministry

"**Mayhem at the Ministry," **Neville read.

"Oh dear …. I hope that doesn't mean that something else is going to happen!" Molly fretted.

"I'm sure it's just talking about how we're going to react to what happened at the World Cup," Arthur assured her.

**Mr. Weasley woke them after only a few hours sleep. He used magic to pack up the tents, and they left the campsite as quickly as possible, passing Mr. Roberts at the door of his cottage. Mr. Roberts had a strange, dazed look about him, and he waved them off with a vague "Merry Christmas."**

"That poor man," a few people sighed.

"I think I'll make sure that they compel him to just take the day off," Arthur frowned. "I wouldn't want this to happen to him in real life."

"While you're at it, you could make sure the Death Eaters don't do anything like this," Bill pointed out.

"I think that's going to be harder to do," Arthur sighed. "But I'm sure we can think of something."

"**He'll be all right," said Mr. Weasley quietly as they marched off onto the moor. "Sometimes, when a person's memory's modified, it makes him a bit disorientated for a while … and that was a big thing they had to make him forget."**

"He will forget it though," Juliet said, worried and doubtful. "That had to have been traumatic for him."

"Yes, he will forget," Arthur assured her.

**They heard urgent voices as they approached the spot where the Portkeys lay, and when they reached it, they found a great number of witches and wizards gathered around Basil, the keeper of the Portkeys, all clamoring to get away from the campsite as quickly as possible.**

"Why didn't they just apparate? There couldn't have been any restriction of apparating out of there," Fred frowned.

"These are probably the families with children too young to apparate," Molly said looking at her own family sadly; why couldn't they be a little older?

**Mr. Weasley had a hurried discussion with Basil; they joined the queue, and were able to take an old rubber tire back to Stoatshead Hill before the sun had really risen. They walked back through Ottery St. Catchpole and up the damp lane toward the Burrow in the dawn light, talking very little because they were so exhausted, and thinking longingly of their breakfast. As they rounded the corner and the Burrow came into view, a cry echoed along the lane.**

"**Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!"**

Arthur sighed. He was really hoping that Molly wouldn't have known about this, knowing how worried she would be. He probably should have let Bill apparated back there and tell her that everyone was okay, knowing that she would have been able to figure that something was wrong.

**Mrs. Weasley, who had evidently been waiting for them in the front yard, came running toward them, still wearing her bedroom slippers, her face pale and strained, a rolled-up copy of the Daily Prophet clutched in her hand.**

"**Arthur - I've been so worried - so worried-"**

"Well at least it was probably only for an hour or so …. the paper couldn't have gotten there much sooner than that," George inferred.

"If I was watching the clock, I might have known sooner," Molly countered and thought it was unlikely that she would be up that late in the night. She wouldn't put it pass herself though, as she always got a strange feeling when something bad was going to happen to her family.

**She flung her arms around Mr. Weasley's neck, and the Daily Prophet fell out of her limp hand onto the ground. Looking down, Harry saw the headline: SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP, complete with a twinkling black-and-white photograph of the Dark Mark over the treetops.**

"Well that's one way to get everyone in our community to tense up," Bill grimaced.

"**You're all right," Mrs. Weasley muttered distractedly, releasing Mr. Weasley and staring around at them all with red eyes, "you're alive … Oh boys …" And to everybody's surprise, she seized Fred and George and pulled them both into such a tight hug that their heads banged together.**

"Wow, that is shocking, I thought you would have gone to Ginny first," George gaped.

"Or if we're talking about boys, it would have to be Bill," Fred added.

"Why shouldn't I hug you two first," Molly asked and they just shrugged at the question.

"**Ouch! Mum - you're strangling us -"**

"**I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs. Weasley said, starting to sob.**

"Oh …. that explains a lot," Fred chuckled.

**"It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough OW.L.s? Oh Fred … George …"**

"I hope you remember this in the future, Mum," George stated smiling. "You don't want to go about yelling at us because you never know what's going to happen."

"I'll take that into consideration," Molly said, narrowing her eyes, "if you consider not causing so much trouble all the time."

The twins looked at each other thoughtfully before they started laughing, "never going to happen."

"**Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay," said Mr. Weasley soothingly, prising her off the twins and leading her back toward the house. "Bill," he added in an undertone, "pick up that paper, I want to see what it says …"**

"Why ... you were there?" Ron asked.

"That doesn't mean that it's not good to know what is being said," Arthur answered gravely.

**When they were all crammed into the tiny kitchen, and Hermione had made Mrs. Weasley a cup of very strong tea, into which Mr. Weasley insisted on pouring a shot of Ogdens Old Firewhiskey,**

"Hmph …. you never give me tea like that," Ron grumped and got glares from both his mum and Hermione.

**Bill handed his father the newspaper. Mr. Weasley scanned the front page while Percy looked over his shoulder.**

"**I knew it," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Ministry blunders … culprits not apprehended … lax security … Dark wizards running unchecked … national disgrace … Who wrote this? Ah … of course … Rita Skeeter."**

"Argh," all the Weasleys, Remus and Tonks groaned.

"I hate that woman," Remus huffed, "I can't tell you how many times she wrote a story where it's clear that she made up more than half the facts …. and they call her a reporter! A gossiper more like."

"A nasty gossiper at that," Tonks added making a face.

"**That woman's got it in for the Ministry of Magic!" said Percy furiously. "Last week she was saying we're wasting our time quibbling about cauldron thickness, when we should be stamping out vampires! As if it wasn't specifically stated in paragraph twelve of the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans —"**

"**Do us a favor, Perce," said Bill, yawning, "and shut up."**

All of the Weasley siblings sniggered at this as Percy glared at Bill. He was the only brother he had, after all, that didn't pick on him or make fun of him in some way.

"Sorry Perce …. there's just more important things to talk about," Bill apologized, grimacing.

"**I'm mentioned," said Mr. Weasley, his eyes widening behind his glasses as he reached the bottom of the Daily Prophet article.**

"**Where?" spluttered Mrs. Weasley, choking on her tea and whiskey. "If I'd seen that, I'd have known you were alive!"**

"**Not by name," said Mr. Weasley. "Listen to this: 'If the terrified wizards and witches who waited breathlessly for news at the edge of the wood expected reassurance from the Ministry of Magic, they were sadly disappointed. A Ministry official emerged some time after the appearance of the Dark Mark alleging that nobody had been hurt, but refusing to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen.'**

"How could there be rumors about that already …. isn't it only hours later?" Duncan asked.

"Yes, and it's a self-fulfilling statement …. they're sure to be plenty rumors about that now," Remus huffed. "This is what I mean about making up half the story."

**Oh really," said Mr. Weasley in exasperation, handing the paper to Percy. "Nobody was hurt. What was I supposed to say? Rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods … well, there certainly will be rumors now she's printed that."**

**He heaved a deep sigh. "Molly, I'm going to have to go into the office; this is going to take some smoothing over."**

"**I'll come with you, Father," said Percy importantly. "Mr. Crouch will need all hands on deck. And I can give him my cauldron report in person."**

"Yes, because I'm sure he's worrying about that report now," Fred rolled his eyes.

**He bustled out of the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley looked most upset. "Arthur, you're supposed to be on holiday! This hasn't got anything to do with your office; surely they can handle this without you?"**

"**I've got to go, Molly," said Mr. Weasley. "I've made things worse. I'll just change into my robes and I'll be off …"**

"How did you make it worse Arthur," Molly grounded out.

"I really shouldn't have said what I did," Arthur explained. "Or I should have told them more of what happened …. those people were worried …."

"Even if that is true you didn't make anything worse," Remus stated reasonably. "I think everyone is focusing more on the attack and the Dark Mark to care about anything else."

"You're probably right, but that only means that I should be going into the office and help the Ministry try and figure out what's going on," Arthur sighed. "I hate to imagine where this is all leading to."

"**Mrs. Weasley," said Harry suddenly, unable to contain himself, "Hedwig hasn't arrived with a letter for me, has she?"**

"Harry …. I really don't think now's the time to be asking about the post," Hermione pointed out.

"I know …. but I obviously want Sirius's reply back now," Harry sighed.

"**Hedwig, dear?" said Mrs. Weasley distractedly. "No … no, there hasn't been any post at all."**

**Ron and Hermione looked curiously at Harry. With a meaningful look at both of them he said, "All right if I go and dump my stuff in your room, Ron?"**

"**Yeah … think I will too," said Ron at once. "Hermione?"**

"**Yes," she said quickly, and the three of them marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs.**

"Yes …. that wasn't very obvious that you three wanted to talk about something," Ginny snorted, rolling her eyes. "You should really work on your evasive skills …. you know so you're not so obvious."

"Why, are you planning on listening in on what we've got to say?" Ron frowned at his sister. "Besides, you said that like you're a master, I don't see you sneaking off on your own."

"That's the whole point …. that you don't see," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"**What's up, Harry?" said Ron, the moment they had closed the door of the attic room behind them.**

"**There's something I haven't told you," Harry said. "On Saturday morning, I woke up with my scar hurting again."**

**Ron's and Hermione's reactions were almost exactly as Harry had imagined them back in his bedroom on Privet Drive.**

"Which isn't surprising, seeing as we had the pleasure of hearing how they would have reacted before we were even able to read Harry's thoughts," Fred chuckled.

**Hermione gasped and started making suggestions at once, mentioning a number of reference books, and everybody from Albus Dumbledore to Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts nurse.**

"How would Madam Pomfrey help?" Fred asked.

"I don't know, but she is a nurse and Harry was in pain …. she might have known something," Hermione shrugged.

"Besides, I'm sure she only mentioned this because she was worried about Harry …. she tends to go a little overboard when she's worried about someone," Ron added for her.

**Ron simply looked dumbstruck.**

"**But - he wasn't there, was he? You-Know-Who? I mean - last time your scar kept hurting, he was at Hogwarts, wasn't he?"**

"**I'm sure he wasn't on Privet Drive," said Harry. "But I was dreaming about him … him and Peter - you know, Wormtail.**

Sirius growled and Remus glared at the book at the mention of the rat.

**I can't remember all of it now, but they were plotting to kill … someone."**

**He had teetered for a moment on the verge of saying "me," but couldn't bring himself to make Hermione look any more horrified than she already did.**

"You should have," Hermione frowned, looking at him. "We would want to know that, even if it did make me look more horrible."

"Besides, it might have helped you to share that with them," Duncan added sadly, not liking that his daughter's best friend had something like this to worry about. "Sharing your worries with others can help them not seem as stressful to deal with."

"**It was only a dream," said Ron bracingly. "Just a nightmare."**

"**Yeah, but was it, though?" said Harry, turning to look out of the window at the brightening sky. "It's weird, isn't it …? My scar hurts, and three days later the Death Eaters are on the march, and Voldemort's sign's up in the sky again."**

"Honestly, I'm not sure those things are connected," Remus murmured thoughtfully.

"Really?" Harry asked him.

"Yeah, the Death Eaters that didn't go to Azkaban probably don't have anything to do with Voldemort and that dream you had," Remus replied. "And I can't see Voldemort wanting his sign to be seen right now, what with him plotting to come back. It would be better for him if no one knew that was going to happen …. or worried that it was going to happen."

"**Don't - say - his - name!" Ron hissed through gritted teeth.**

"**And remember what Professor Trelawney said?" Harry went on, ignoring Ron.**

"As usual," Ron huffed, glaring at his best friend.

"Well, as long as you're still going to be afraid of saying Voldemort's name, I'm going to ignore you when you tell me not to," Harry shrugged.

**"At the end of last year?"**

**Professor Trelawney was their Divination teacher at Hogwarts. Hermione's terrified look vanished as she let out a derisive snort.**

"Well, at least you didn't snort this time, sweetie," Juliet smiled to her daughter.

"I can't believe that you really think that anything she said was real, Harry," Hermione huffed, ignoring her mother completely.

"If you were there, even you would have believed it," Harry countered.

"I wouldn't count on that," Fred sniggered as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"**Oh Harry, you aren't going to pay attention to anything that old fraud says?"**

"**You weren't there," said Harry. "You didn't hear her. This time was different. I told you, she went into a trance - a real one. And she said the Dark Lord would rise again … greater and more terrible than ever before … and he'd manage it because his servant was going to go back to him … and that night Wormtail escaped."**

There was more growling from Sirius at the mention of the rat's escape. This time Remus joined him, mostly because he was just angry that because he got away that Sirius still had to be on the run.

**There was a silence in which Ron fidgeted absentmindedly with a hole in his Chudley Cannons bedspread.**

"**Why were you asking if Hedwig had come, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Are you expecting a letter?"**

"**I told Sirius about my scar," said Harry, shrugging. "I'm waiting for his answer."**

"**Good thinking!" said Ron, his expression clearing. "I bet Sirius'll know what to do!"**

"I'm pleased you have so much faith in me," Sirius commented, trying to smile at him, but his mind was still on the rat and what he would like to do to it.

"Misguided faith too," Tonks added and Sirius glared at her.

"**I hoped he'd get back to me quickly," said Harry.**

"**But we don't know where Sirius is … he could be in Africa or somewhere, couldn't he?" said Hermione reasonably. "Hedwig's not going to manage that journey in a few days."**

"**Yeah, I know," said Harry, but there was a leaden feeling in his stomach as he looked out of the window at the Hedwig-free sky.**

"I do hate Hedwig-free skies, they're always so gloomy," Fred sighed.

"**Come and have a game of Quidditch in the orchard, Harry" said Ron. "Come on - three on ****three, Bill and Charlie and Fred and George will play… You can try out the Wronski Feint … "**

"**Ron," said Hermione, in an I-don't-think-you're-being-very-sensitive sort of voice,**

"You know the different tones of my voice," Hermione noted, blushing slightly.

"Some of the time," Harry shrugged.

**"Harry doesn't want to play Quidditch right now … He's worried, and he's tired … We all need to go to bed …"**

"**Yeah, I want to play Quidditch," said Harry suddenly. "Hang on, I'll get my Firebolt."**

**Hermione left the room, muttering something that sounded very much like "Boys."**

Nearly everyone chuckled at this as it was clear that the Hermione in the room was thinking the same thing.

**Neither Mr. Weasley nor Percy was at home much over the following week. Both left the house each morning before the rest of the family got up, and returned well after dinner every night.**

"**It's been an absolute uproar," Percy told them importantly the Sunday evening before they were due to return to Hogwarts. "I've been putting out fires all week. People keep sending Howlers, and of course, if you don't open a Howler straight away, it explodes. Scorch marks all over my desk and my best quill reduced to cinders."**

"Tough luck mate," Fred commiserated, obviously trying to stop himself from laughing.

"**Why are they all sending Howlers?" asked Ginny, who was mending her copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi with Spellotape on the rug in front of the living room fire.**

"**Complaining about security at the World Cup," said Percy. "They want compensation for their ruined property. Mundungus Fletcher's put in a claim for a twelve-bedroomed tent with en-suite Jacuzzi, but I've got his number. I know for a fact he was sleeping under a cloak propped on sticks."**

"I can believe that Dung actually thought he could get away with that," Sirius chuckled. "He's the biggest sneak thief around! I wouldn't believe a word that came out of his mouth."

**Mrs. Weasley glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. Harry liked this clock. It was completely useless if you wanted to know the time, but otherwise very informative.**

"And who would want to know the time when they're looking at a clock," Tonks chuckled.

**It had nine golden hands, and each of them was engraved with one of the Weasley family's names. There were no numerals around the face, but descriptions of where each family member might be. "Home," "school," and "work" were there, but there was also "traveling," "lost," "hospital," "prison,"**

"I don't see why you have prison and school on there …. isn't that a little redundant?" Fred asked.

**and, in the position where the number twelve would be on a normal clock, "mortal peril."**

Molly grimaced at the mention of this, she didn't want to think about her family in mortal peril, but she had insisted that it had been included because if they were, she wanted to know about it.

**Eight of the hands were currently pointing to the "home" position, but Mr. Weasley's, which was the longest, was still pointing to "work." Mrs. Weasley sighed.**

"**Your father hasn't had to go into the office on weekends since the days of You- Know-Who," she said. "They're working him far too hard. His dinner's going to be ruined if he doesn't come home soon."**

"**Well, Father feels he's got to make up for his mistake at the match, doesn't he?" said Percy. "If truth be told, he was a tad unwise to make a public statement without clearing it with his Head of Department first -"**

Percy frowned at this and wasn't that surprised when his mum glared at him and his dad bowed his head. "I'm sure I didn't really mean that."

"No, you have a point," Arthur sighed. "I really shouldn't have said anything."

"We've been through this Arthur, you didn't do anything wrong," Molly huffed.

"**Don't you dare blame your father for what that wretched Skeeter woman wrote!" said Mrs. Weasley, flaring up at once.**

"**If Dad hadn't said anything, old Rita would just have said it was disgraceful that nobody from the Ministry had commented," said Bill,**

"Thank you Bill, you made an excellent case," Molly smiled at him.

**who was playing chess with Ron.**

"And losing," Ron smirked at his eldest brother, who made a face knowing it was probably true. Ron had become quite the expert at chess over the years and he hadn't been able to beat him the last time.

**"Rita Skeeter never makes anyone look good. Remember, she interviewed all the Gringotts' Charm Breakers once, and called me 'a long-haired pillock'?"**

"**Well, it is a bit long, dear," said Mrs. Weasley gently. "If you'd just let me -"**

Bill rolled his eyes at that, of course that was all his mum heard, that his hair was long.

"**No, Mum."**

**Rain lashed against the living room window. Hermione was immersed in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, copies of which Mrs. Weasley had bought for her, Harry, and Ron in Diagon Alley. Charlie was darning a fireproof balaclava. Harry was polishing his Firebolt, the broomstick servicing kit Hermione had given him for his thirteenth birthday open at his feet. Fred and George were sitting in a far corner, quills out, talking in whispers, their heads bent over a piece of parchment.**

Fred and George sighed at this, if Harry had noticed this then their mum couldn't be that far behind.

"**What are you two up to?" said Mrs. Weasley sharply, her eyes on the twins.**

"**Homework," said Fred vaguely.**

"I don't think I've ever hear a worse lie out of the two of you," Ginny giggled.

"**Don't be ridiculous, you're still on holiday," said Mrs. Weasley.**

"They still had homework," Hermione insisted.

"But they never do it," Ron pointed out, conveniently leaving out that he didn't either.

"**Yeah, we've left it a bit late," said George.**

"**You're not by any chance writing out a new order form, are you?" said Mrs. Weasley shrewdly. "You wouldn't be thinking of restarting Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, by any chance?"**

"**Now, Mum," said Fred, looking up at her, a pained look on his face. "If the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow, and George and I died, how would you feel to know that the last thing we ever heard from you was an unfounded accusation?"**

"Brilliant," Sirius laughed, who was reminded of the way that James would use to try to get out of trouble with his parents. Everyone else started laughing at this, except for Teddy, who didn't feel comfortable hearing the twins, and especially Fred, joke about dying.

**Everyone laughed, even Mrs. Weasley.**

"**Oh your father's coming!" she said suddenly, looking up at the clock again.**

**Mr. Weasley's hand had suddenly spun from "work" to "traveling"; a second later it had shuddered to a halt on "home" with the others, and they heard him calling from the kitchen.**

"**Coming, Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, hurrying out of the room. A few moments later, Mr. Weasley came into the warm living room carrying his dinner on a tray. He looked completely exhausted.**

"**Well, the fat's really in the fire now," he told Mrs. Weasley as he sat down in an armchair near the hearth and toyed unenthusiastically with his somewhat shriveled cauliflower. "Rita Skeeter's been ferreting around all week, looking for more Ministry mess-ups to report. And now she's found out about poor old Bertha going missing, so that'll be the headline in the Prophet tomorrow. I told Bagman he should have sent someone to look for her ages ago."**

"That won't do them any good," Remus grimaced as he remembered that Bertha wasn't going to be found if the first chapter of this book had really happened, and he was sure it had.

"**Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks and weeks," said Percy swiftly.**

"**Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn't found out about Winky," said Mr. Weasley irritably. "There'd be a week's worth of headlines in his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark."**

"Yeah, that would be such a shame," Sirius grumbled under his breath and Percy glared at him.

"**I thought we were all agreed that that elf, while irresponsible, did not conjure the Mark?" said Percy hotly.**

"And you're only saying that because you don't want the good name of Mr. Crouch being soiled, not because you think the elf is innocent," Hermione hotly exclaimed; Percy didn't answer.

"**If you ask me, Mr. Crouch is very lucky no one at the Daily Prophet knows how mean he is to elves!" said Hermione angrily.**

"**Now look here, Hermione!" said Percy. "A high-ranking Ministry official like Mr. Crouch ****deserves unswerving obedience from his servants -"**

"**His slave, you mean!" said Hermione, her voice rising passionately, "because he didn't pay Winky, did he?"**

Hermione was looking at the book in awe at that, "wow …. that was exactly what I was just thinking."

"Well then I guess you don't change much in the next few weeks," Ron commented. "That's nice to know."

"**I think you'd all better go upstairs and check that you've packed properly!" said Mrs. Weasley, breaking up the argument. "Come on now, all of you …"**

**Harry repacked his broomstick servicing kit, put his Firebolt over his shoulder, and went back upstairs with Ron. The rain sounded even louder at the top of the house, accompanied by loud whistlings and moans from the wind, not to mention sporadic howls from the ghoul who lived in the attic. Pigwidgeon began twittering and zooming around his cage when they entered. The sight of the half-packed trunks seemed to have sent him into a frenzy of excitement.**

"What doesn't send him into a frenzy of excitement?" Ron grumbled.

"**Bung him some Owl Treats," said Ron, throwing a packet across to Harry. "It might shut him up."**

**Harry poked a few Owl Treats through the bars of Pigwidgeon's cage, then turned to his trunk. Hedwig's cage stood next to it, still empty.**

"**It's been over a week," Harry said, looking at Hedwig's deserted perch. "Ron, you don't reckon Sirius has been caught, do you?"**

"NO!" Remus reacted before thinking and then started to blush.

"It just a question Remus, he didn't say that Sirius was actually caught," Tonks teased him and he blush a little more causing Teddy to smile at the two of them.

"**Nah, it would've been in the Daily Prophet," said Ron. "The Ministry would want to show they'd caught someone, wouldn't they?"**

"That's definitely true," Sirius snorted.

"**Look, here's the stuff Mum got for you in Diagon Alley. And she's got some gold out of your vault for you … and she's washed all your socks."**

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley," Harry smiled at her.

"It's no problem, dear," Molly smiled back at him.

**He heaved a pile of parcels onto Harry's camp bed and dropped the money bag and a load of socks next to it. Harry started unwrapping the shopping. Apart from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, by Miranda Goshawk, he had a handful of new quills, a dozen rolls of parchment, and refills for his potion-making kit - he had been running low on spine of lionfish and essence of belladonna. He was just piling underwear into his cauldron when Ron made a loud noise of disgust behind him.**

"**What is that supposed to be?"**

**He was holding up something that looked to Harry like a long, maroon velvet dress.**

There were a few people starting to snigger across the room.

**It had a moldy-looking lace frill at the collar and matching lace cuffs. There was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Weasley entered, carrying an armful of freshly laundered Hogwarts robes.**

"**Here you are," she said, sorting them into two piles. "Now, mind you pack them properly so they don't crease."**

"**Mum, you've given me Ginny's new dress," said Ron, handing it out to her. **

More sniggering came out of that comment and Ron's ears started to turn red, he didn't like were this was going.

"**Of course I haven't," said Mrs. Weasley. "That's for you. Dress robes."**

"And they're quite lovely aren't they!" Fred laughed. "They should go nicely with your hair."

"Shut up!" Ron hissed at him. "Mum, you can't make me take that! Why do I even need a dress robe!"

"I can think of a reason, but never mind that now," Molly fretted. "It's probably the best robes I could get you …. I'm sure it's not as bad as it sounds."

Ron didn't agree with that but didn't have an argument.

"**What?" said Ron, looking horror-struck.**

"**Dress robes!" repeated Mrs. Weasley. "It says on your school list that you're supposed to have dress robes this year … robes for formal occasions."**

"**You've got to be kidding," said Ron in disbelief. "I'm not wearing that, no way."**

"**Everyone wears them, Ron!" said Mrs. Weasley crossly. "They're all like that! Your father's got some for smart parties!"**

"**I'll go starkers before I put that on," said Ron stubbornly.**

"Ew Ron, we don't need to think of that," Ginny voiced, making a face as Hermione bowed her head so no one would see her expression.

"**Don't be so silly," said Mrs. Weasley. "You've got to have dress robes, they're on your list! I got some for Harry too … show him, Harry …"**

**In some trepidation, Harry opened the last parcel on his camp bed. It wasn't as bad as he had expected, however; his dress robes didn't have any lace on them at all - in fact, they were more or less the same as his school ones, except that they were bottle green instead of black.**

"**I thought they'd bring out the color of your eyes, dear," said Mrs. Weasley fondly.**

"Thanks," Harry smiled again, this time a little shyly.

"**Well, they're okay!" said Ron angrily, looking at Harry's robes. "Why couldn't I have some like that?"**

"**Because … well, I had to get yours secondhand, and there wasn't a lot of choice!" said Mrs. Weasley, flushing.**

The room because uncomfortable for everyone in it, except for Draco who was still sniggering at the image of Ron's dress robes.

**Harry looked away. He would willingly have split all the money in his Gringotts vault with the Weasleys, but he knew they would never take it.**

And things got even worse after that comment. This statement was quite true and that was why it was hard to hear.

"**I'm never wearing them," Ron was saying stubbornly. "Never."**

"**Fine," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "Go naked. And, Harry, make sure you get a picture of him. Goodness knows I could do with a laugh."**

"Ha! Even Mum is teasing you!" Fred snorted breaking the tension as several people started to laugh.

**She left the room, slamming the door behind her. There was a funny spluttering noise from behind them. Pigwidgeon was choking on an overlarge Owl Treat.**

"Ruddy owl," Ron grumbled, he being the most effected by Harry's thoughts, he hated the fact that he was poor and he didn't like the fact that Harry thought about it too.

"**Why is everything I own rubbish?" said Ron furiously, striding across the room to unstick Pigwidgeon's beak.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Neville finished weakly, not particular enjoying reading this last bit.

"I guess I should read," Ginny grumbled taking the book out of his hand and started reading immediately.


	12. Aboard the Hogwart Express

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twelve

Aboard the Hogwart Express

"**Aboard the Hogwart Express," **Ginny read.

**There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air when Harry awoke next morning. Heavy rain was still splattering against the window as he got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt; they would change into their school robes on the Hogwarts Express.**

**He, Ron, Fred, and George had just reached the first-floor landing on their way down to breakfast, when Mrs. Weasley appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking harassed.**

"That's never a good thing," Fred said.

"Of course if we're just getting downstairs it couldn't have been us harassing her," George added. "I wonder what's wrong?"

"It's the day we go to Hogwarts …. Mum wakes up harassed," Fred chuckled and Molly glared at them.

"**Arthur!" she called up the staircase. "Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!"**

**Harry flattened himself against the wall as Mr. Weasley came clattering past with his robes on back-to-front and hurtled out of sight. When Harry and the others entered the kitchen, they saw Mrs. Weasley rummaging anxiously in the drawers –**

"**I've got a quill here somewhere!" - and Mr. Weasley bending over the fire, talking to -**

**Harry shut his eyes hard and opened them again to make sure that they were working properly.**

"What's the matter with you?" Ron asked.

"How should I know?" Harry answered, "I don't know what I'm looking at."

**Amos Diggory's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg.**

"Er …. his head was in the middle of your fireplace," Duncan gasped. "How does that work?"

"It's sort of similar to how flooing works, at least you use the same powder," Hermione started to say.

"It's rather long explanation if you want to know the mechanics," Bill interrupted. "All you really need to understand though is that as long as we throw some floo powder in the fireplace and stick our head in the flame …. this is what happens."

"Right," Duncan said nervously.

**It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears.**

"… **Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call-'ems - please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there —"**

"Please-men …. what is that supposed to be," Draco scoffed.

"It's policemen," Hermione said. "And they're the same as Aurors …. or at least close enough."

"**Here!" said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley's hands.**

"**- it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," said Mr. Diggory's head. "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off — if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur —"**

"**What does Mad-Eye say happened?"**

"Mad-Eye?" a few people gasped but Tonks was the loudest, he had been her mentor her first year in training and she had grown to like the grouchy old man.

**asked Mr. Weasley, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up his quill, and preparing to take notes.**

**Mr. Diggory's head rolled its eyes. "Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins."**

"Ambushed by dustbins?" Fred said laughing. "How do you get ambushed by dustbins?"

"If you're going to Moody's … very easily," Tonks answered chuckling.

"**What did the dustbins do?" asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically.**

"**Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," said Mr. Diggory. "Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the pleasemen turned up -"**

"Mad-eye seems like a guy that I can get along with," George laughed.

"He's not really a prankster …. or has much patience with pranksters," Tonks snorted.

"Really, even if he is willing to make something fire out rubbish at people?" Fred replied.

**Mr. Weasley groaned. **"**And what about the intruder?"**

"**Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," said Mr. Diggory's head, rolling its eyes again. "Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings.**

"Hmph," Tonks huffed at that. "Mad-eye might have gone paranoid but that doesn't mean he doesn't know when someone is intruding on him."

"I was thinking the same thing," Remus frowned.

**But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it — think of his record — we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department — what are exploding dustbins worth?"**

"**Might be a caution," said Mr. Weasley, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?"**

"**I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," said Mr. Diggory, "but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties."**

"I wouldn't be surprise if he did do that," Tonks commented. "On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprise if he doesn't have land mines of dustbin hidden all over the place at this very moment."

"**All right, I'm off," Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again.**

**Mr. Diggory's head looked around at Mrs. Weasley.**

"**Sorry about this, Molly," it said, more calmly, "bothering you so early and everything … but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night …"**

"You don't choose when you're going to be attack," Tonks rolled her eyes.

"He's under the impression that Mad-eye is just overreacting to a cat remember," Remus responded. "And if he was, this probably wasn't the best of time."

"Why …. do you know what this new job of his is?" Tonks asked and Remus shook his head, but Arthur and Molly shared a look, they had heard where Mad-eye was supposed to be working.

"**Never mind, Amos," said Mrs. Weasley. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"**

"**Oh go on, then," said Mr. Diggory.**

**Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table, put it into the fire tongs, and transferred it into Mr. Diggory's mouth. "Fanks," he said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small pop, vanished.**

"That's just weird," Juliet stated, frowning. She was getting more use to the magic that keep being mentioned but floating heads in the fireplace was a little too much for her.

**Harry could hear Mr. Weasley calling hurried good-byes to Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the girls. Within five minutes, he was back in the kitchen, his robes on the right way now, dragging a comb through his hair.**

"**I'd better hurry - you have a good term, boys," said Mr. Weasley to Harry, Ron, and the twins, fastening a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate. **"**Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?"**

"**Of course I will," she said. "You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine."**

**As Mr. Weasley vanished, Bill and Charlie entered the kitchen.**

"**Did someone say Mad-Eye?" Bill asked. "What's he been up to now."**

"**He says someone tried to break into his house last night," said Mrs. Weasley.**

"**Mad-Eye Moody?" said George thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast. "Isn't he that nutter -"**

"Yes, yes he is," George answered himself.

"He is not," Tonks countered and then chuckled. "Okay, maybe he is, but don't let him hear you say that …. trust me, it's not pretty."

"**Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," said Mrs. Weasley sternly.**

"**Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. **"**Birds of a feather …"**

"Sorry Dad," Fred apologized as Arthur flushed and the others tried not to laugh at that.

"**Moody was a great wizard in his time," said Bill.**

"He's still a great wizard," Sirius countered, crossing his arms.

"How would you know? You've been in prison for years," Tonks replied.

"You don't lose your skills even if you do go a little mad," Sirius explained shrugging his shoulders.

"And that you can believe as Sirius knows all about it…. going mad that is," Remus teased his friend.

"**He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?" said Charlie.**

"**Dumbledore's not what you'd call normal, though, is he?" said Fred. "I mean, I know he's a genius and everything …"**

Several people chuckled at this; it's true the old headmaster was quiet …. peculiar.

"**Who is Mad-Eye?" asked Harry.**

"**He's retired, used to work at the Ministry," said Charlie. "I met him once when Dad took me into work with him. He was an Auror - one of the best … a Dark wizard catcher," he added, seeing Harry's blank look "Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though … the families of people he caught, mainly … and I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Sees Dark wizards everywhere."**

"I wonder where Charlie would have heard that paranoid rumor?" Bill murmured looking at Tonks.

"I wouldn't know," Tonks replied with an innocent expression that no one believed.

**Bill and Charlie decided to come and see everyone off at King's Cross station, but Percy, apologizing most profusely, said that he really needed to get to work.**

"**I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment," he told them. "Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me."**

"**Yeah, you know what, Percy?" said George seriously. "I reckon he'll know your name soon."**

"You really shouldn't tease your brother about that," Molly glared at George, who shrugged.

**Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone in the village post office to order three ordinary Muggle taxis to take them into London.**

"If the phone was so scary, why didn't you have Harry or Hermione use it?" Sirius suggested. "They would know how."

"It sounds like I was able to do it just fine," Molly shrugged.

"Let's just hope she did better than you, Ron, I would hate to think of the poor guy that answer the phone having to hear Mum yell at them," Fred chuckle.

"You would have done the same thing and you know it," Ron shot back at his brother but the fact that his ears were red dampened his comment a little.

"**Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us," Mrs. Weasley whispered to Harry as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving six heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. "But there weren't any to spare … Oh dear, they don't look happy, do they?"**

"That's odd …. you're still Harry Potter, I would have thought they would want to give you anything," Fred commented as Harry made a face at that.

**Harry didn't like to tell Mrs. Weasley that Muggle taxi drivers rarely transported overexcited owls, and Pigwidgeon was making an earsplitting racket. Nor did it help that a number of Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks went off unexpectedly when Fred's trunk sprang open, causing the driver carrying it to yell with fright and pain as Crookshanks clawed his way up the man's leg.**

"Those poor men," Duncan commented chuckling.

**The journey was uncomfortable, owing to the fact that they were jammed in the back of the taxis with their trunks. Crookshanks took quite a while to recover from the fireworks, and by the time they entered London, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all severely scratched.**

"Bloody cat …. why couldn't it have gone in the trunk," Ron grumbled.

"Ron …. he can't ride in the trunk, what if he ran out of air," Hermione glared at him. "I think his safety is worth a scratch or too."

"You would, and if you didn't hear, it said severely scratched!" Ron huffed.

"And on that happy note, time for me to continue reading," Ginny interrupted loudly before Hermione could say anything to Ron.

**They were very relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain was coming down harder than ever, and they got soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station.**

**Harry was used to getting onto platform nine and three-quarters by now. It was a simple matter of walking straight through the apparently solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten.**

"It wasn't so easy two years ago," Ron stated making a face.

**The only tricky part was doing this in an unobtrusive way, so as to avoid attracting Muggle attention. They did it in groups today; Harry, Ron, and Hermione (the most conspicuous, since they were accompanied by Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks) went first; they leaned casually against the barrier, chatting unconcernedly, and slid sideways through it … and as they did so, platform nine and three-quarters materialized in front of them.**

**The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform appeared like dark ghosts. Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train. They then hopped back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.**

"**I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye.**

"Why?" George asked.

"**Why?" said Fred keenly.**

"Are you sure that was really Fred …. I think it might really have been me," George stated seriously.

"**You'll see," said Charlie. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it … it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."**

"I wish you didn't mention it at all …. all it does is make me wonder what going to happen," Fred huffed.

"Well if Chuck is going to be there, I bet it has something to do with dragons," Tonks chuckled.

"That would sure make Hagrid happy," Harry responded not sure if he liked the sounds of that very much.

"**Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.**

"**Why?" said George impatiently.**

"**You're going to have an interesting year," said Bill, his eyes twinkling. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it."**

"You're so annoying …. either tell us what's going to happen or leave us alone!" Fred huffed.

"But it's so fun to annoy you …. I would think you of all people would appreciate that," Bill chuckled.

"You would think …. but no …. I'm not amused William," Fred replied in a stiff voice that only made Bill laugh more than ever.

"**A bit of what?" said Ron.**

**But at that moment, the whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors.**

"**Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to her.**

"And we didn't even have to make you say that," Duncan chuckled.

"As if we ever had to …. Hermione has always been considerate," Juliet smiled at Hermione.

"**Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry.**

"**Oh it was my pleasure, dears," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'd invite you for Christmas, but … well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with … one thing and another."**

"Et tu Mum," Fred pouted at her.

"I'm sure I just didn't want to feel left out," Molly smiled at him causing him to pout even more and everyone else in the room to laugh.

"**Mum!" said Ron irritably. "What d'you three know that we don't?"**

"Not the best of question to ask Ronniekins, they know loads more than you," George chuckled.

"Shut up!" Ron huffed, glaring at him and Draco, who was laughing from the comment.

"**You'll find out this evening, I expect," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "It's going to be very exciting ****- mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -"**

"**What rules?" said Harry, Ron, Fred, and George together.**

"**I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you … Now, behave, won't you? Won't you, Fred? And you, George?"**

"What about Ron and Harry …. they get in just as much trouble as we do," Fred grumbled.

"They might even get into more!" George added.

"They don't go around causing that trouble like you two seem to like to," Molly pointed out and the twins had to admit that she had a point with that.

**The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move.**

"**Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred bellowed out of the window as Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie sped away from them. "What rules are they changing?"**

**But Mrs. Weasley only smiled and waved. Before the train had rounded the corner, she, Bill, and Charlie had Disapparated.**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to their compartment. The thick rain splattering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them. Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting.**

"Er …. are you sure you want to use those robes to hide Pigwidgeon?" Bill asked.

"Yeah …. it's not like I care if they get ruined," Ron shrugged. "It's not like they could get any worse."

Bill didn't say anything, but that wasn't what he had been worried about.

"**Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts," he said grumpily, sitting down next to Harry. "At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what —"**

"That's because we were told not to tell anyone," Arthur explained. "It's more fun for you to find out at school with all the others."

"**Shh!" Hermione whispered suddenly, pressing her finger to her lips and pointing toward the compartment next to theirs. Harry and Ron listened, and heard a familiar drawling voice drifting in through the open door.**

"Argh …. next time lets pick a compartment farther away from that git," Ron groaned.

"… **Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore - the man's such a Mudblood-lover -**

Everyone shot Draco a dirty look.

"Then why didn't you go …. it would have made Hogwarts a much better place," Fred huffed.

"As if I want to make anything better for you," Draco rolled his eyes.

**and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do …"**

"Why would you want to learn Dark Arts anyway …. it's just ways to hurt people." Hermione frowned. "What's the appeal of that …. are you some kind of sociopath?"

"No …. knowing Dark Arts is more than just that." Draco glared at her. "But I wouldn't expect you to understand, you don't …."

"Want to finish that sentence," Teddy said firmly. "Believe me, it wouldn't be pretty if you do."

Draco looked at the many glares he was getting and crossed his arms, keeping his mouth shut.

**Hermione got up, tiptoed to the compartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy's voice.**

"**So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" she said angrily. "I wish he had gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him."**

"**Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" said Harry.**

"**Yes," said Hermione sniffily, "and it's got a horrible reputation. According to An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts."**

"**I think I've heard of it," said Ron vaguely. "Where is it? What country?"**

"**Well, nobody knows, do they?" said Hermione, raising her eyebrows.**

"**Er - why not?" said Harry.**

"I can't believe you can ask a question like that," Percy stated. "It should be obvious …."

Ginny didn't let her brother finish as she started to read again.

"**There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets," said Hermione matter-of-factly.**

"**Come off it," said Ron, starting to laugh. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts — how are you going to hide a great big castle?"**

"And that …. that's an even more unbelievable question," Percy commented. "Ron you should know that Hogwarts is hidden …. no one is quite sure where it is."

"**But Hogwarts is hidden," said Hermione, in surprise. "Everyone knows that … well, everyone who's read Hogwarts, A History, anyway."**

"Just you, then," Ron replied and Ginny snorted.

"I don't find that amusing," Hermione glared at Ginny, though she wasn't the only one chuckling now.

"No …. it's just …." Ginny started to explain but thought it would be easier of she just read.

"**Just you, then," said Ron.**

"Oh," Hermione breathed and then muttered, "I still don't think it's funny."

"I just want to add that it's not the only way someone could learn that Hogwarts is hidden," Percy pointed out. "There are a few other books that mention something like this."

"If I'm not going to read _Hogwarts, A History_, what makes you think I would read those other books?" Ron asked making a face.

**"So go on - how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?"**

"**It's bewitched," said Hermione. "If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a moldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE."**

"Mm, I wonder how many places we have passed that are magical without us even realizing it?" Juliet mused.

"Probably more than you would guess," Arthur replied.

"**So Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outsider too?"**

"**Maybe," said Hermione, shrugging, "or it might have Muggle-repelling charms on it, like the World Cup stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it Unplottable -"**

"**Come again?"**

"**Well, you can enchant a building so it's impossible to plot on a map, can't you?"**

"Yeah, my parents' house was Unplottable," Sirius explained. "I wish they made it so that it couldn't not only be plotted on a map, but so it couldn't exist anywhere."

"Hm …. something tells me you didn't like that house that much," Fred surmised as if he was making a great discovery.

"No!" Sirius shouted, then continued in a dark tone that made him look almost scary. "Sorry …. I don't like thinking about that place."

"**Er… if you say so," said Harry.**

"**But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms."**

"How do you know things like that?" Ron asked.

"I read," Hermione shrugged.

"**Ah, think of the possibilities," said Ron dreamily. "It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident … Shame his mother likes him …"**

"Ronald, I don't what to hear you saying things like that!" Molly huffed at her youngest son, as several people laughed and Draco glared at him.

**The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share.**

"Oh, you should eat something better than sweets," Molly sighed.

"I really hope that you didn't share in this as well," Duncan admonished sternly to his daughter, who was now avoiding his eyes.

"Hermione eating candy or other kinds of sweets …. never," Fred chuckled and she glared at him.

**Several of their friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, extremely forgetful boy who had been brought up by his formidable witch of a grandmother.**

"Hey look Nev …. you got more of an introduction than Dean and Seamus," Ginny pointed out.

"That must mean that Harry likes you better than them," Fred stated smirking as Harry and Neville both started looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah, but he did give Neville's grandmother almost as long of an introduction, so you might be reading too much into it," George added chuckling.

Harry wasn't going to say anything but when Neville bowed his head he felt he had to. "Fred was right; I do get along with you better than the others …."

"Thanks Harry," Neville mumbled, though he didn't look like he believed him.

**Seamus was still wearing his Ireland rosette. Some of its magic seemed to be wearing off now; it was still squeaking "Troy - Mullet - Moran!" but in a very feeble and exhausted sort of way. After half an hour or so, Hermione, growing tired of the endless Quidditch talk, buried herself once more in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm.**

"You're already working on that …. but you don't need to know how to do that into mid-November," Percy frowned. "Have you already learned all of the lessons before that?"

"Probably, most spells in charms come easily to me," Hermione shrugged.

"Don't mind him, he's just upset that he didn't learn those spells as quickly as you did," Fred explained grinning.

**Neville listened jealously to the others' conversation as they relived the Cup match.**

"**Gran didn't want to go," he said miserably. "Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing though."**

"Though luck mate, but at least you sort of got to hear about it in this book," Ron tried to comfort him.

"Yeah, that was pretty cool …. and I'm glad I wasn't there for the what happened afterward," Neville responded with a shudder.

"**It was," said Ron. "Look at this, Neville …"**

**He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack and pulled out the miniature figure of Viktor Krum.**

"**Oh wow," said Neville enviously as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand.**

"**We saw him right up close, as well," said Ron. "We were in the Top Box -"**

"**For the first and last time in your life, Weasley."**

"Oh joy, it's time for you to pester us again," Harry groaned. "Don't you have anything better to do with your time other than bothering us all the time?"

Draco didn't answer that, he just glared at Harry.

**Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Evidently they had overheard the conversation through the compartment door, which Dean and Seamus had left ajar.**

"**Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," said Harry coolly.**

"**Weasley… what is that?" said Malfoy, pointing at Pigwidgeon's cage. A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the moldy lace cuff very obvious.**

"And that was why I said that it wouldn't be good to use that to cover the cage," Bill sighed as Ron groaned.

**Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled.**

"**Look at this!" said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle, "Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean - they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety …"**

"Wow, that was really witty, I think that might have been the cleverest insult you've ever had," Fred snorted, he wasn't about to let anyone pick on his little brother, that was his and George's job … and maybe Bill's, Charlie's and Ginny's too.

"**Eat dung, Malfoy!" said Ron, the same color as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip. Malfoy howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.**

"**So … going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know … you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won …"**

"**What are you talking about?" snapped Ron.**

"He's obviously talking about whatever is going to be happening at Hogwarts," Hermione answered and looked at Draco closely, "but judging by his lack of remarks so far I would think this Malfoy doesn't know a thing about that."

"So whatever it is that's going on is something you enter," Fred mused. "Hm …. I like the sounds of that …. but I wonder what it will be?"

"**Are you going to enter?" Malfoy repeated. "I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"**

"You know, you remind me of Lockhart when you say things like that," Harry said to Draco.

"Don't compare me to that useless git," Draco snorted looking highly offended.

"Yeah Harry, that really was harsh," Fred added. "I know Malfoy is mean, stupid, ugly, lame …. and I could go on forever … but still, it's going a little too far to say he's like Lockhart."

"**Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," said Hermione testily, over the top of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4.**

"Hermione, don't say that, now he's going to look all superior, thinking he's special," Ron groaned.

"True …. but he will leave faster this way," Hermione shrugged.

**A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face**

"**Don't tell me you don't know?" he said delightedly. "You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even know? My God, my father told me about it ages ago … heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry … Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley … yes … they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him …"**

"Why you snotty little git!" Fred huffed and he wasn't the only one that was angry at Draco for that comment. "Dad knows more about the working at the Ministry than anyone. He just believes in listening to the rules …."

"Did Fred just imply it was a good thing to listen to rules?" Ginny '_whispered_' to Hermione.

"I didn't mean that I would follow them, but I'm saying that Dad does," Fred explained.

**Laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared.**

**Ron got to his feet and slammed the sliding compartment door so hard behind them that the glass shattered.**

"**Ron!" said Hermione reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered "Reparo!" and the glass shards flew back into a single pane and back into the door.**

"Well that's niffy," Juliet noted. "I wish I could have done that when you broke the TV after Manchester lost that one year, Duncan."

"They should have one that game …. they were up two-nil!" Duncan huffed. "How else could I react?"

"There really is no other way to react to something like that," Ron assured him, he liked hearing that Hermione's dad was this into a sport.

"**Well … making it look like he knows everything and we don't …" Ron snarled. "'Father's always associated with the top peopLe at the Ministry' … Dad could've got a promotion any time … he just likes it where he is …"**

Arthur sighed, that was both true and not true. He did like it were he was and would find it really hard doing something else, but there were other reason why he didn't get promoted that had little to do with his ability as a wizard.

"**Of course he does," said Hermione quietly. "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron -"**

"**Him! Get to me! As if!" said Ron, picking up one of the remaining Cauldron Cakes and squashing it into a pulp.**

"You wouldn't be very good at poker, Ron," Sirius sniggered and Ron looked at him blankly.

**Ron's bad mood continued for the rest of the journey. He didn't talk much as they changed into their school robes, and was still glowering when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station.**

**As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled up Crookshanks in her cloak and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.**

"Maybe you should look up and make sure that it isn't buckets of water dumping on you," Fred snickered. "I wouldn't be surprised if Peeves did something like that …. he would think it was funny."

"And he wouldn't have been the only one," George added laughing along with Sirius.

"**Hi, Hagrid!" Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform.**

"**All righ', Harry?" Hagrid bellowed back, waving. "See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!"**

**First years traditionally reached Hogwarts Castle by sailing across the lake with Hagrid.**

"**Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," said Hermione fervently,**

"You're right, that does sound bad," Harry commented. "I'm glad our first year at Hogwarts it was a nice day."

**shivering as they inched slowly along the dark platform with the rest of the crowd. A hundred horseless carriages stood waiting for them outside the station.**

Neville looked up and frowned at that. They weren't horseless carriages, though he knew that's what everyone called them. They were in fact drawn by weird winged, skeleton like horse things that weren't too pleasant to look at.

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville climbed gratefully into one of them, the door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track toward Hogwarts Castle.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Ginny stated holding out the book for the next person to read.

"I supposed I'll do it," Fred sighed taking the book from her.


	13. The Triwizard Tournament

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirteen

The Triwizard Tournament

"**The Triwizard Tournament!"** Fred read. "That's what going on at Hogwarts!"

"I can't believe it!" George exclaimed. "We've got to join!"

Molly looked uncomfortable about this, before relaxing again, knowing they wouldn't be able to because they wouldn't be old enough. She didn't tell them this now - she didn't want to spoil their good mood …. the book could do that for her.

"What's the Triwizard Tournament?" Hermione asked.

"It's a tournament between …" Bill started to answer.

"Hold on! There's something you don't know already!" Ron exclaimed and Hermione glared at him.

Fred was too impatient to hear the details of the story, and sure that somewhere the tournament would be explained, started reading again.

**Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase.**

"**Blimey," said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere,**

"What are you Ron, a dog?" George questioned his brother bemusedly.

"There's nothing wrong with acting like a dog," Sirius grinned. "I did the same thing all the time."

"There may be nothing wrong with acting like a dog … but I don't know why anyone would want to act like you," Remus informed his friend drily.

**"if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak - ARRGH!"**

**A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded.**

"Brilliant!" the twins and Sirius all sniggered.

"Though I still think buckets of water would have been better," Fred added.

**Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped - narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks. People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire.**

"What's the point? They're already wet," Tonks rolled her eyes at this.

**Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again.**

"**PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!" Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling.**

Hermione winced at the mention of that … it sounded like it would hurt.

"**Ouch - sorry, Miss Granger -"**

"**That's all right, Professor!" Hermione gasped, massaging her throat.**

"**Peeves, get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.**

The twins were grinning at this, any time they could see McGonagall upset without having to suffer her wrath was always amusing.

"**Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeee!"**

"It seems like he thinks like you, Tonks," Remus chuckled as Tonks made a face. She hadn't meant that she approved of Peeves's behavior when she had said something similar to this; she just didn't understand why the others were panicking when they were already wet.

**And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.**

"**I shall call the headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "I'm warning you, Peeves -"**

"You would think someone as powerful as McGonagall wouldn't have to resort to threats involving the headmaster," Bill commented.

**Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.**

"**Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face.**

**The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall,**

"I don't understand why they couldn't put the door to the Great Hall in the middle of the room so we didn't have to past all of the other Houses' tables first," Ron grumbled.

"You're just upset about that because it causes you to walk an extra thirty seconds before you can start eating," Ginny chuckled.

"So," Ron shrugged.

**next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck.**

"**Good evening," he said, beaming at them.**

"**Says who?" said Harry, taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water.**

"Harry did you really have to do that in the Great Hall," Hermione shook her head. "We don't need that disgusting water on the floor."

"Sorry," Harry temporized, looking more amused than sorry.

**"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving."**

**The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, but by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at one since his own.**

"You haven't," Sirius stated blankly, looked shocked; he'd never missed a sorting (and more importantly the opening feast). "Why not?"

"Well in second year, Ron and I came by flying car instead of the …"

"FLYING CAR!" Sirius exclaimed. "How did you get one?! Was it amazing to fly there?! How did your entrance go off … everyone must have talked about that!"

"Yeah, it's a legend," George answered. "People still talk about it and it happened almost two years ago."

"And the other year McGonagall wanted to talk to me because a certain Professor told her that I was effected by the dementors," Harry explained, ignoring Sirius' excited questions about his second year arrival. As he said the last part of this explanation, he glared at Remus.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right … I didn't think Minerva would take you to her office," Remus sighed and Sirius turned to look at him oddly. "What?"

"You just called McGonagall, Minerva," Sirius stated as if that was some kind of crime.

"We were colleagues all last year, of course I called her Minerva," Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius.

**He was quite looking forward to it. Just then, a highly excited, breathless voice called down the table.**

"**Hiya, Harry!"**

**It was Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero.**

"True, I think he's an even bigger fan of yours than Ginny is," Ron pointed out, smirking.

"Ron!" Ginny hissed at her brother, turning bright red.

"What … didn't you and Colin start that Harry Potter fan club?" Ron continued to tease.

"Stop it already," Harry muttered, elbowing Ron in the ribs as he started to turn red and Ginny looked mortified.

"**Hi, Colin," said Harry warily.**

"**Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"**

"**Er - good," said Harry.**

"I'm sure you're so excited by that," Fred sniggered.

"**He's really excited!" said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat.**

"Thought obviously Colin was bummed out by the news," George said sarcastically.

**"I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?"**

"Yeah, you definitely want another Creevey to follow you around," Ron chuckled.

"Stop it … Colin is pretty nice once you get to know him," Ginny defended her year mate – after her disastrous first year it had been hard for her to make friends with her other year mates, but Colin had been nice to her right away. Of course, seeing as she had blamed herself for Colin being petrified that first year, it had taken her longer to open up to him.

"**Er - yeah, all right," said Harry. He turned back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick.**

"**Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?" he said. He was judging by the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor.**

"It really depends on the person, Harry," Arthur lectured. "For the most part my family has been Gryffindors since the school open. And seeing as we tend to be attracted to strong and brave people, our family seems to stay in Gryffindor. The same is true of the other houses, of course. But there are other families that the parents are from two different houses, or something like that, and then siblings tend to end up in different houses."

"And then there are some people that hate their family and everything they stand for, and they chose to be in a different house than what they should have been," Sirius added with a dark look in his eye.

"**Oh no, not necessarily," said Hermione. "Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?"**

"Yes, we would," the twins said at the same time.

"What kind of twin wouldn't be in the same house," Fred continued as if he found this offensive.

**Harry looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, but there was another empty chair too, and Harry couldn't think who else was missing.**

"**Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Hermione, who was also looking up at the teachers.**

"I wonder what we're going to get this year," Ginny mused.

"Just as long as it's not another Voldemort supporter, I'll be happy," Ron replied.

Teddy looked at Ron oddly, knowing that was exactly what they got.

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Arthur assured his youngest son.

**They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms.**

"Neither did I," Bill interrupted.

"We didn't either," Sirius added.

"Seriously!" Hermione exclaimed (she didn't notice that Remus covered Sirius mouth before he could make his favorite pun). "You mean to tell me that there hasn't been a stable Defense Against the Dark Art Professor for over twenty years!"

"Actually it was even a little longer than that," Tonks replied. "Mum complained about that too and she's even older than Sirius. If I recall correctly, it happened right before Voldemort had started the first war, though I don't know why that would affect the post at Hogwarts."

"Well, some say the job's jinked," Bill explained. "Maybe Voldemort or one of his Death Eaters thought it would be useful for them if there was never a steady Defense Professor and jinked the job."

"That's as good of a reason as any I've heard," Remus mused.

**Harry's favorite by far had been Professor Lupin, who had resigned last year.**

"Thank you, Harry," Remus smiled at him.

"It's not like he had much to choose from though," Fred pointed out. "With Quirrell and Lockhart, I'm not sure I learned a single spell."

"Those were particularly bad Professors," Percy agreed with his brother, "though thankful before that we had some decent ones. Still, I do have to agree with Harry, you were the best Professor I had as well."

"Thank you, Percy," Remus said with the same smile as he had given Harry.

**He looked up and down the staff table. There was definitely no new face there.**

"**Maybe they couldn't get anyone!" said Hermione, looking anxious.**

"And after nearly thirty years of constantly having to fill the post, that is a real concern," Tonks frowned.

**Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, Snape - Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts. Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him, a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose –**

"Nice one," Sirius snorted (as several others laughed) at this, thought he didn't look to please hearing about Snape, he did appreciate the insult.

**Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days.**

**On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy.**

"What did you expect … it was pouring outside," George rolled his eyes.

**Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it.**

"That must be nice … to be able to watch a storm without having to get wet," Juliet sighed, having always enjoyed watching the rain.

"I think just watching the sky no matter the weather would be interesting in the Great Hall," Duncan agreed, finding just the thought of this ceiling intriguing. Hermione of course had told him about it, but it was better hearing Harry's description of it and he realized it would be even more amazing to see.

"**Oh hurry up," Ron moaned, beside Harry, "I could eat a hippogriff."**

"Well, I'm not letting you anywhere near Buckbeak then," Sirius exclaimed in false alarm.

"How is Buckbeak, by the way?" Harry asked.

"He's doing okay," Sirius answered. "But he misses being able to fly freely. And I think he misses Hagrid too."

Draco glared at the floor throughout this conversation, not liking that the hippogriff that had attacked him had gotten away.

**The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. If Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet, it was nothing to how these first years looked. They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailed.**

"Those poor children, they'll catch a cold for sure," Juliet cooed.

"Don't worry, the Great Hall is warmed and charmed so that it helps prevent colds for the most part," Molly informed her. "Of course that doesn't always work, but for the most part it does."

**All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school - all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with mousy hair, who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat.**

"Let me guess … this is the little Creevey," Fred shook his head, chuckling. "I wonder why he needed Hagrid's coat?"

**The coat was so big for him that it hooked as though he were draped in a furry black circus tent. His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited. When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eye, gave a double thumbs-up, and mouthed, 'I fell in the lake!' He looked positively delighted about it.**

Several people chuckled at that.

"And I thought that Colin was a nutter," Ron muttered shaking his head. "Delighted about falling into the lake, I tell you."

**Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song:**

Naturally since Fred was reading, he was all too happy to sing the hat's song.

_**A thousand years or more ago,**_

_**When I was newly sewn,**_

_**There lived four wizards of renown,**_

_**Whose names are still well known:**_

_**Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,**_

"Who was the greatest of all four," Fred added, still singing, though judging by his mum's glare she not only realized that he added this, but she wasn't amused. "I had to try didn't I," he shrugged at her before he started reading again.

_**Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,**_

"Who was always so clean …" Fred added again.

"Fredrick!" Molly warned dangerously though he didn't pause in his reading.

_**Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,**_

_**Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.**_

_**They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,**_

_**They hatched a daring plan**_

_**To educate young sorcerers**_

_**Thus Hogwarts School began.**_

_**Now each of these four founders**_

_**Formed their own house, for each**_

_**Did value different virtues**_

_**In the ones they had to teach.**_

_**By Gryffindor, the bravest were**_

_**Prized far beyond the rest;**_

_**For Ravenclaw, the cleverest**_

_**Would always be the best;**_

_**For Hufflepuff, hard workers were**_

_**Most worthy of admission;**_

"Huh?" Ron blurted out to which Tonks glared at him.

"And what's that supposed to mean!" she demanded.

"Er …" Ron temporized, his ears bright red. "I just never heard Hufflepuff described like that."

"I suppose you've only heard that Hufflepuff is the house that takes the people that don't go to the other houses," Tonks grumbled bitterly. Ron's ears turned brighter red at this and she took that to mean that she was right. "That's not true at all. Sure Helga Hufflepuff was willing to teach anyone that had magic, but that doesn't mean there aren't other reason why people would be put in the house! There's a lot …!"

"Tonks … don't curse me, but we don't have time for a Hufflepuff rant right now," Bill interrupted bravely as Tonks gave him a death glare. He had heard Tonks' lecture Charlie on this in the past and knew she could go on for a while.

"She can't curse you, Teddy took our wands away remember," Fred said cheerfully before he started singing again.

_**And power-hungry Slytherin**_

_**Loved those of great ambition.**_

_**While still alive they did divide**_

_**Their favorites from the throng,**_

_**Yet how to pick the worthy ones**_

_**When they were dead and gone?**_

'_**Twas Gryffindor who found the way,**_

"If Ravenclaw was supposed to be the clever one, why was it Gryffindor that figured out the way?" Duncan wondered.

"The truth is, all the founders were brilliant," Arthur answered. "Ravenclaw was just the one that thought that cleverness was the most valuable aspect in students."

"I always wondered why you weren't in Ravenclaw, Hermione," Percy stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Half the times when you ask me questions about something, I find myself forgetting you're four years younger than me."

"Come on, she picked Harry and Ron as her best friend … if that isn't brave, I don't know what is," Ginny pointed out, causing several people to chuckling and Hermione to smile.

"I can't really answer why the hat didn't put me in Ravenclaw, Percy, though I will admit that it had considered me for that house," she then answered. "But I'm happy that I'm in Gryffindor. I don't think I would have learned half as much as I know now if I was in any other house."

"Really," Harry said. "But if you didn't have to deal with the stuff we get into every year, you would have had more time to study …"

"Maybe, but book aren't the only place where you can learn from," Hermione shrugged. "And don't even think of making a comment about that Ronald!"

Ron gave her an innocent look that she didn't believe at all. "I wasn't going to."

_**He whipped me off his head**_

_**The founders put some brains in me**_

_**So I could choose instead!**_

_**Now slip me snug about your ears,**_

_**I**_**'**_**ve never yet been wrong,**_

_**I**_**'**_**ll have a look inside your mind**_

_**And tell where you belong!**_

"How would he know if he was wrong or not?" Harry mused trying not to thinking of how closely he had come to being sorted into Slytherin. "I mean, it's not like we see what a person would have been like if they were in a different house."

**The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished.**

"**That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us," said Harry, clapping along with everyone else.**

"Why would the hat sing the same song?" Ron asked as if the very thought of that as crazy.

Harry shrugged, "I just didn't realize it would be different."

"**Sings a different one every year," said Ron. "It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one."**

**Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.**

"**When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told the first years. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.**

"**Ackerley, Stewart!"**

**A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool.**

"**RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.**

**Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, the Ravenclaw Seeker, cheering Stewart Ackerley as he sat down. For a fleeting second, Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too.**

"NO! Harry!" Fred and George shouted.

"Seriously mate? You wanted to be a Ravenclaw?" Ron asked and then chuckled when he noticed how flustered Harry was.

"Shut up," Harry grumbled at his friends as other sniggered.

"**Baddock, Malcolm!"**

"**SLYTHERIN!"**

"He must be a git then," Sirius told the others as if that was the only thing the boy could be.

"You really should stop judging them …" Remus said tiredly, he had repeated this conversation with Sirius in the past and had long since grown weary of it.

"Not going to happen Moony," Sirius interrupted stubbornly and Remus let it go.

**The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers; Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin House had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other. Fred and George hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down.**

"Baddocks have been in Slytherin house almost as long as the Malfoys," Draco sneered as he rolled his eyes. "But I hope you know that there have been 'Dark' witches and wizards from all the houses."

"Yeah, but more from the Slytherin house than the others," Ron huffed.

"Actually that's only true for this century," Bill explained. "And to be even more accurate, since You-Know-Who had started gaining power. I believe before that Ravenclaw had the most … and then there was a while that Gryffindors had more than their fair share of Dark wizards."

"Thanks for the history lesson, Professor Bill, but if you don't mind I'll start reading again before you put us all to sleep," Fred said.

"**Branstone, Eleanor!"**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!"**

"**Cauldwell, Owen!"**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!"**

"**Creevey, Dennis!"**

**Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table. About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming – a misleading impression, for Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature. He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat. The rip at the brim opened wide— -**

"**GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.**

"YEAH!" The twins and Sirius cheered. Sirius because he liked to cheer for his housemates (even if he was no longer at school) and the twins because they thought that having the Creevey brother's following Harry around would be more amusing than just one.

**Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother.**

"**Colin, I fell in!" he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. "It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!"**

"**Cool!" said Colin, just as excitedly. "It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!"**

"Ah, he must have been too small to eat," George joked.

"When you say giant squid … how big is it?" Duncan questioned, he had several nightmares of giant squids after he read 'Twenty Thousands Leagues Under the Sea'.

"Big enough to grab a boy and push him back into a boat," Sirius said. "It's grown since the time we were there."

"Hermione, you are not to go into the lake, do you hear me," Duncan admonished, paling.

"Okay Dad," Hermione mumbled with a blush as she could hear the others snigger.

No one noticed Teddy looking at Duncan at this request, as he wondered how Hermione's dad was going to handle the second task.

"Ah, don't worry, Mr. Granger, Eric is very nice," Sirius told him.

"Eric?" Ron questioned.

"That's what Sirius insisted on calling the squid," Remus sighed.

"Well everyone needs a name, don't they," Sirius huffed.

"You sound like Hagrid," Harry chuckled, "are you sure he didn't name the squid too?"

"Oh! I didn't think of that," Sirius replied looking almost heartbroken. "His name might not be Eric then."

"Tough luck mate," Remus consoled in what would have been a sympathetic tone, if he wasn't laughing.

"It's probably Killer, or something like that," Ron conjectured. "Hagrid always names his nice pets with more vicious names. It's the ones that he names Snowball, that you have to worry about."

"And how would you know about that?" Molly asked sharply and Ron gulped. Thankfully Fred started reading again before he had to answer.

"**Wow!" said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster.**

"**Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? Know who he is, Dennis?"**

"It must be Thomas Roger," Fred commented seriously, who actually was a Gryffindor with glasses and black hair the year ahead of the twins.

"Oh yes, I'm sure it is," George agreed with his twin.

**Harry looked away, staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, now Sorting Emma Dobbs.**

**The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's.**

"**Oh hurry up," Ron moaned, massaging his stomach.**

"**Now, Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food," said Nearly Headless Nick as **"**Madley, Laura!" became a Hufflepuff.**

"Nothing is more important than food to Ron," George teased.

"**Course it is, if you're dead," snapped Ron.**

"**I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch," said Nearly Headless Nick, applauding as "McDonald, Natalie!" joined the Gryffindor table. "We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?"**

**Gryffindor had won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row.**

"Only because Dumbledore favors you so much," Draco muttered.

"That's not true," Harry glared at him.

"Sure it's not Saint Potter," Draco rolled his eyes. "He only gave the cup away to you in our first year … In the middle of the feast no less. And then the next year, you guys were losing until suddenly you had two hundred extra points out of nowhere. How did you earn those …"

"They got them by stopping the Heir of Slytherin," Neville snapped at Draco, catching everyone by surprise. "They deserved the points they got! They were doing the right thing."

"**Pritchard, Graham!"**

"**SLYTHERIN!"**

"**Quirke, Orla!"**

"**RAVENCLAW!"**

**And finally, with "Whitby, Kevin!" ("HUFFLEPUFF!"), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. "About time," said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate.**

**Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.**

"**I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in."**

"**Hear, hear!" said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes.**

**Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron, and Hermione loaded their own plates.**

"**Aaah, 'at's be'er," said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato.**

"Ronald, how many times do I have to tell you not to talk with your mouth full," Molly admonished.

"**You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know," said Nearly Headless Nick. "There was trouble in the kitchens earlier."**

"**Why? Wha' 'appened?" said Harry, through a sizable chunk of steak.**

"**Peeves, of course," said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously. He pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. "The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast - well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it.**

"I don't see anything wrong it that," George chuckled along with a few others.

**We held a ghost's council - the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance – but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."**

**The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains. He was the only person at Hogwarts who could really control Peeves.**

"**Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something," said Ron darkly.**

"**So what did he do in the kitchens?"**

"**Oh the usual," said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. "Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits—"**

**Clang.**

**Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention.**

"And now those poor house-elves are going to have to clean up the table," Fred sighed in mock concern. "That was really rude of you not to clean up your mess, Hermione."

"Shut up," Hermione rolled her eyes at him, she had a feeling why her book self was so shock.

"**There are house-elves here?" she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. "Here at Hogwarts?"**

"**Certainly," said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."**

"So many," Hermione sighed. They had said earlier that house-elves were at Hogwarts, but she hadn't guess that it would be over a hundred.

"**I've never seen one!" said Hermione.**

"**Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?" said Nearly Headless Nick. "They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning… see to the fires and so on… I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?"**

**Hermione stared at him.**

"**But they get paid?" she said. "They get holidays, don't they? And - and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?"**

**Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck.**

There were several people laughing at Nick reaction to this and Hermione glared at them all.

"This isn't funny," she huffed. "The elves should be paid at the very least."

"Actually it would be more important for them to get benefits and security than money," Remus replied reasonably. "I doubt most house elves would know what to do if they had money."

"**Sick leave and pensions?" he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"**

**Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her.**

**"Oh c'mon, 'Er-my-knee," said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding.'**

"Thanks mate," Harry grimaced.

"No problem," Ron chuckled until he saw his mum's expression and then he cowered in his seat.

**"Oops — sorry, 'Arry —" He swallowed. "You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!"**

"He's right Honey," Juliet nodded. "You're going to have to eat. You need to find another way to try and help the poor elves out."

"**Slave labor," said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. "That's what made this dinner. Slave labor."**

"On dear, I don't think I've seen you this angry about something since you were nine and the school wanted to ban some books," Duncan commented.

"What happened?" Ron asked, realizing that he didn't know much about Hermione's life before Hogwarts.

"She helped organized the group of parents that were eventually able to overrule the school board's decision to ban those books," Duncan announced proudly.

Ron however was looking at Hermione with dread. He had a feeling that something more was going to happen with her desire to help the elves out.

**And she refused to eat another bite.**

**The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings.**

"**Treacle tart, Hermione!" said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward her.**

"You know the treacle tart is my favorite, not Hermione's, right," Harry told Ron, chuckling.

"Yeah, but she does like it … she likes all the deserts," Ron shrugged, Hermione elbowed him then and he looked at her confused until he noticed her parents' disappointed looks about their daughter eating deserts.

**"Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!"**

**But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up.**

"I hate it when you give me that look," Ron grumbled.

**When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.**

"**So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered," ("Hmph!" said Hermione)**

"It's not his fault that you didn't eat, Hermione," Ron stated grinning.

**"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.**

"**Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."**

"You know, I don't think anyone cares to check that out," Ginny chuckled.

**The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.**

"**It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."**

"What?!" Harry, Ron, Fred and George all shouted looking appalled.

"They can't cancel Quidditch!" Harry added.

"It's probably because the Tri Wizard Tournament," Hermione said reasonably. "That has to take up a lot of time … or a least I would assume it would with the limited information that I've …"

"You're right, it's because of the tournament," Bill nodded.

"I suppose that's okay then," Fred sighed. "But I'm going to miss Quidditch."

"**What?" Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbhedore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"**

**But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.**

"What perfect timing," Neville chuckled and several people looked at him oddly. "I just mean if we didn't hear the title of this chapter, we would all be dying to know what was going on at Hogwarts by this point and just as Dumbledore was about to say something there was a distraction like this."

**A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.**

**A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped.**

"He does know how to make an entrance, doesn't he," Tonks chuckled.

"Who is it?" Harry asked.

"Mad-Eye Moody," she answered. "He didn't tell me that he was going to teach this year, but it really can't be anyone but him."

"Yes, it is him," Arthur agreed, who had heard that the ex-Auror was teaching.

**The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.**

**One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.**

"Argh … that's creepy," Hermione said shuddering. "What happened to him?"

"A lot of things," Tonks replied in a sad tone. "He got them as an Auror."

"Are all Aurors scarred that badly?" Harry asked.

"Nah, Mad-Eye just had a knack for catching bad guys, and never concerned himself too much with his own safety as long as he caught the criminal he was after," Tonks answered. "He said that was more important than how he would end up looking."

**The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbhedore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.**

**The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it.**

"What … did he think the sausage was poisoned or something?" George chuckled.

"That's exactly what he thought," Arthur sighed.

**He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.**

"**May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."**

**It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.**

"**Moody?" Harry muttered to Ron. "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"**

"**Must be," said Ron in a low, awed voice.**

Tonks frowned at that, remembering her mentor had been attacked just that morning. It couldn't be just a coincidence that he was attacked before he came to Hogwarts, but what was his attackers after?

"**What happened to him?" Hermione whispered. "What happened to his face?"**

"**Dunno," Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination.**

**Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome.**

"As if he cares about that," Sirius snorted. "I bet he was pleased that they didn't welcome him warmly … that way he could study the reaction of the students to him better."

**Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it.**

"I wonder what he's drinking in that flask," Fred chuckled.

"Probably some spirits to cheer him up," George added.

"It's not spirits," Tonks rolled her eyes. "It's probably pumpkin juice or something like that. Moody doesn't like to drink at public places … or much at all really."

"Why not?" Fred asked.

"It would dull his senses," Tonks answered simply.

**As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.**

**Dumbledore cleared his throat.**

"**As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."**

"**You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.**

Fred chuckled at this as he continued to read.

**The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.**

"Ah, I did my job well then," Fred smiled.

"**I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."**

**Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.**

"**Er - but maybe this is not the time… no…" said Dumbledore,**

"Ah! I wanted to hear the joke," Fred and George complained as other in the room laughed at Dumbledore attempt to telling a joke being stopped by McGonagall.

**"where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament… well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.**

"**The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."**

"Death toll!" Juliet and Hermione gasped.

"You mean people have died in this tournament?" Duncan questioned, turning to look at Arthur.

"Yes, there have been a few deaths in the past," Arthur sighed. "But I assure you that Dumbledore and the Ministry of all three countries have made moves to insure that this tournament will be as safe as it is possible."

"**Death toll?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago.**

"Of course you would," Hermione grumbled under her breath and Harry chuckled.

"**There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.**

"Ah, what's the point of the tournament if they champions didn't find themselves in mortal danger," Fred sighed.

"Fred! I do not want to hear you joking about that!" Molly snapped.

"**The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."**

"**I'm going for it!" Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches.**

"Yeah, I think I'm going to try that too," George agreed and Ron nodded his head.

Molly shuddered at just the thought of that but didn't say anything because she knew the kids couldn't become champion.

**He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.**

"**Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older -**

Fred's voice trailed off as he read this and then he looked up at his parents indignantly. "We can't join!"

"We didn't make the rules," Arthur informed his son.

"Though we think they're are good," Molly added. "You don't need to go risking your lives for a game."

"I thought Dad and Dumbledore just said that the tournament was going to be safe this year," George pointed out, looking just as outraged as his twin was.

"And this is just one of the ways that make sure that tournament will be safer," Molly pointed out, "by making sure the champions are all of age."

"I know you're upset about this, Fred, but it's not like you can change anything by glaring at our parents," Bill told his brother. "Why don't you keep reading?"

**will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This" — Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious - "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them.**

"Then they could have made it that you just had to be a sixth year!" George huffed. "It's not fair that just because we were born in April, that we can't join when some people in our year can!"

"Ah, too bad Georgie … you're not old enough to join," Ron teased his brother.

**I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.**

Molly sighed; Dumbledore had practically just challenged her sons to pass his insurance to hoodwink the judge.

"**The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"**

**Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.**

"**They can't do that!" said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"**

"Come on George, stop repeating yourself," Ginny teased as George crossed his arms.

"**They're not stopping me entering," said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table.**

Teddy started chuckling at that.

"What's so funny?" Fred asked angrily.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll see," Teddy replied, grinning at him.

**"The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!"**

"**Yeah," said Ron, a faraway look on his face. "Yeah, a thousand Galleons…"**

"**Come on," said Hermione, "we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move."**

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George set off for the entrance hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament.**

"**Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" said Harry.**

"**Dunno," said Fred, "but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George …"**

"Aging Potion? Of all the brilliant things you two could try to think of, Aging Potion is the one that you're going with," Sirius shook his head.

"What's wrong with an Aging Potion?" Fred glared at him.

"Nothing but the fact that it won't work on whatever it is that Dumbledore is up to," Sirius shrugged.

"**Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though," said Ron.**

"**Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?" said Fred shrewdly. "Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names."**

"**People have died, though!" said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase.**

"**Yeah," said Fred airily, "but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk?**

"A bit of risk! Fun!" Molly stated fuming but Fred didn't stop reading.

**Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?"**

"You will not even think about entering!" Molly snapped even louder than before.

"**What d'you reckon?" Ron asked Harry. "Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older… Dunno if we've learned enough…"**

"**I definitely haven't," came Neville's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George. "I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to — oops …"**

Neville started to blush at this comment as several people looked at him.

**Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase. There were many of these trick stairs at Hogwarts; it was second nature to most of the older students to jump this particular step, but Neville's memory was notoriously poor.**

And Neville blushed even harder as now a few people started to chuckle.

"Sorry Neville …" Harry started to say.

"No … it's true," Neville sighed.

**Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out, while a suit of armor at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing wheezily.**

"**Shut it, you," said Ron, banging down its visor as they passed. They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress.**

"**Password?" she said as they approached.**

"**Balderdash," said George, "a prefect downstairs told me."**

"Ah, that's interesting," Draco murmured smiling; he now knew where the Gryffindor common room was, and how to get in.

"We're going to have to make sure that they pick a different password when we get back," Hermione commented, frowning at the expression on Draco's face.

**The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they all climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, and Harry distinctly heard her mutter "Slave labor"**

Harry chuckled while he shook his head.

**before bidding them good night and disappearing through the doorway to the girls' dormitory.**

**Harry, Ron, and Neville climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory, which was situated at the top of the tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunk at the foot. Dean and Seamus were already getting into bed; Seamus had pinned his Ireland rosette to his headboard, and Dean had tacked up a poster of Viktor Krum over his bedside table. His old poster of the West Ham football team was pinned right next to it.**

"A West Ham fan, huh?" Duncan frowned. "You're not friends with him are you, Hermione?"

"Dad, I don't pick by friends base on their football team," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"And neither should you, Duncan," Juliet added shaking her hand. "You were positively rude to Mr. Spenser the other day just because you found out that he supported Chelsea. I don't know when you because such a fanatic but it's really got to stop."

"You just don't understand," Duncan shook his head at his wife.

"**Mental," Ron sighed, shaking his head at the completely stationary soccer players.**

**Harry, Ron, and Neville got into their pajamas and into bed. Someone - a house-elf, no doubt - had placed warming pans between the sheets. It was extremely comfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside.**

"Even if it was slave labor that got you that comfort?!" Fred huffed in an imitation of Hermione's voice.

"**I might go in for it, you know," Ron said sleepily through the darkness, "if Fred and George find out how to … the tournament … you never know, do you?"**

"**S'pose not …"**

**Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind's eye … He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen … he had become Hogwarts champion … he was standing on the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming … he had just won the Triwizard Tournament. Cho's face stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration … Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.**

"Why not? I'm sure I would have been thinking the same thing, well expect for Cho's face," Ron asked.

"I don't know … it's kind of embarrassing, don't you think," Harry shrugged.

"Maybe," Ron shrugged in return, "but it's not like I'd laugh at you or anything."

"That was the end of the chapter," Fred said, handing the book to this twin without asking if he wanted to read. George just took the book.


	14. Mad-Eye Moody

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: So I posted the first thirteen chapters in a row because that was were I had left off on my mailing list but now that I'm caught up with that I'm going to post chapters every other day.  
**

**Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Fourteen

Mad-Eye Moody

"**Mad-Eye Moody," **George read.

**The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as Harry, Ron, and Hermione examined their new course schedules at breakfast. A few seats along, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were discussing magical methods of aging themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament.**

"You shouldn't waste your time doing that," Molly shook her head at the twins, who didn't seem to be paying attention to her.

"You know, we'll be able to see what we did in this book and whether or not it works," Fred whispered to George, who started to grin.

"I know just what you're thinking," George whispered back, they'll be able to try something else out if it doesn't work.

"I know you are, dear brother of mine," Fred grinned as well.

"**Today's not bad… outside all morning," said Ron, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures … damn it, we're still with the Slytherins …"**

"They never change what classes you have with the other houses for a subject," Percy explained as if Ron should have known that.

"I know … that doesn't mean I can't hope they will," Ron mumbled back.

"**Double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned, looking down. Divination was his least favorite subject, apart from Potions. Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death, which he found extremely annoying.**

"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" Hermione said briskly.

"**You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" said Hermione briskly,**

"We heard you the first time," Fred joked as others chuckled and Hermione blushed.

"Well, I have a point," she replied. "It's not like it's a useful subject."

**buttering herself some toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."**

"**You're eating again, I notice," said Ron, watching Hermione adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast too.**

"You would notice something like that," George chuckled, "what's the matter Ron, was she stealing your favorite piece of toast?"

"Doubt it," Ron glared at his brother. "Just pointing out that she didn't hold up to her resolve not to eat."

"It's not very pleasant to starve," Harry pointed out matter of factly. "And it wouldn't really do anything to help the elves out."

"Great … are you on her side now?" Ron groaned.

"No," Harry answered but before he could say more, Hermione huffed and glare at him. "I'm just going to keep my mouth shut now."

"Don't blame you mate," George sniggered before he started reading again.

"**I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," said Hermione haughtily.**

"**Yeah… and you were hungry," said Ron, grinning.**

**There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Harry looked up, but there was no sign of white among the mass of brown and gray. The owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed. A large tawny owl soared down to Neville Longbottom and deposited a parcel into his lap - Neville almost always forgot to pack something.**

Neville blushed at that as a few others chuckled.

**On the other side of the Hall Draco Malfoy's eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets and cakes from home.**

"Jealous," Draco smirked at Harry, who was a little jealous, but wasn't about to admit it.

**Trying to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment in his stomach, Harry returned to his porridge. Was it possible that something had happened to Hedwig, and that Sirius hadn't even got his letter?**

"I'm sure Hedwig is fine," Sirius comforted Harry in the room who looked concerned about his owl too. "I was just far away … it will take her a while to get back to you."

**His preoccupation lasted all the way across the sodden vegetable patch until they arrived in greenhouse three, but here he was distracted by Professor Sprout showing the class the ugliest plants Harry had ever seen. Indeed, they looked less like plants than thick, black, giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil.**

"Ah Bubotubers," Neville commented, chuckling. "They're not fun to look at but they can be useful."

"How do you know what that was?" Ron looked at his friend in surprised.

"Gran gave me a book about Herbology for an early birthday present this year," Neville shrugged. "It was very interesting."

"You sound like Hermione," Ron made a face.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Hermione huffed at her friend with narrowed eyes.

"Er …" Ron muttered giving George a pleading look for him to read but only received an evil grin for his effort. "Just that … er … I don't expect anyone but you to like getting a book for a present."

"Hmph," Hermione glared then turned away from him.

**Each was squirming slightly and had a number of large, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared to be full of liquid.**

"**Bubotubers," Professor Sprout told them briskly. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus -"**

"Merlin! Longbottom was actually right, that's a first," Draco drawled.

"Stuff it, Malfoy," Ron glared at Draco, "Neville knows more than you ever will."

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she shook her head … she couldn't understand how Ron could go from being offensive to defending people in the blink of an eye, but he managed to do it all the time.

"**The what?" said Seamus Finnigan, sounding revolted.**

"**Pus, Finnigan, pus," said Professor Sprout, "and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus." Squeezing the bubotubers was disgusting, but oddly satisfying. As each swelling was popped, a large amount of thick yellowish-green liquid burst forth, which smelled strongly of petrol. They caught it in the bottles as Professor Sprout had indicated, and by the end of the lesson had collected several pints. "This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," said Professor Sprout, stoppering the last bottle with a cork. "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."**

"Oh, yeah, bubotubers is very useful," Fred snorted sarcastically.

"It's life and death, that is," George added in the same tone.

"**Like poor Eloise Midgen," said Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff, in a hushed voice. "She tried to curse hers off."**

"**Silly girl," said Professor Sprout, shaking her head. "But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back on in the end."**

"Her nose back on! What happened to her nose?" Juliet asked, alarmed.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," George chuckled, and noticed that didn't appeased Hermione's mum, he added, "she wasn't hurt … she just … er … looked funny."

**A booming bell echoed from the castle across the wet grounds, signaling the end of the lesson, and the class separated; the Hufflepuffs climbing the stone steps for Transfiguration, and the Gryffindors heading in the other direction, down the sloping lawn toward Hagrid's small wooden cabin, which stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.**

**Hagrid was standing outside his hut, one hand on the collar of his enormous black boarhound, Fang. There were several open wooden crates on the ground at his feet, and Fang was whimpering and straining at his collar, apparently keen to investigate the contents more closely.**

"Really … I would have thought he wanted to run away," Tonks chuckled.

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"Because Fang is a coward," Harry replied, also chuckling. "You knew Fang, Tonks?"

"Yeah, I used to visit Hagrid a lot with Charlie," Tonks confirmed. "Though the last year I didn't go as much … they never stopped talking about dragons …. it got a bit boring after a awhile."

**As they drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached their ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions.**

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Draco looked worried about that.**

"**Mornin'!" Hagrid said, grinning at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this - Blast-Ended Skrewts!"**

"What is that?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione.

"Never heard of that," Hermione answered and then looked at Remus for explanation.

"I haven't either," Remus grimaced; he didn't like to think about why he hadn't heard of this creature. Sure there were creatures he didn't know about, but he did do a wide research in this subject matter and it was odd that he hadn't heard about them.

"**Come again?" said Ron.**

**Hagrid pointed down into the crates.**

"**Eurgh!" squealed Lavender Brown, jumping backward. "Eurgh" just about summed up the Blast-Ended Skrewts in Harry's opinion. They looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches.**

"Why did I ever take this stupid class?" Draco groaned. Though the others didn't want to admit it, they felt similarly.

"**On'y jus' hatched," said Hagrid proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"**

"And it just keeps getting better," Draco grumbled.

"**And why would we want to raise them?" said a cold voice.**

**The Slytherins had arrived. The speaker was Draco Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle were chuckling appreciatively at his words.**

"Er … why would they chuckle at that question?" George asked. "It wasn't funny."

"Because they're idiots," Ron explained as if that should be obvious.

Draco was actually thinking the same thing. Crabbe and Goyle laughed at most of what he says because they're unsure of whether he's insulting someone or not.

**Hagrid looked stumped at the question.**

"**I mean, what do they do?" asked Malfoy. "What is the point of them?"**

**Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard; there was a few seconds' pause, then he said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things - I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer - I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake - just try 'em out with a bit of each."**

"He has no clue what he's doing," Draco rolled his eyes.

"Shut up Malfoy, he's just never had them before," Harry glared at the blonde boy. "He knows what he's doing."

"**First pus and now this," muttered Seamus.**

**Nothing but deep affection for Hagrid could have made Harry, Ron, and Hermione pick up squelchy handfuls of frog liver and lower them into the crates to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Harry couldn't suppress the suspicion that the whole thing was entirely pointless, because the skrewts didn't seem to have mouths. **

"Ha! Even you don't want to do it!" Draco crowed triumphantly and Harry glared at the book like it had betrayed him. Of course he didn't want to pick up frog livers and feed what he was sure were monsters, but he didn't want Draco knowing that.

"**Ouch!" yelled Dean Thomas after about ten minutes. "It got me."**

**Hagrid hurried over to him, looking anxious.**

"**Its end exploded!" said Dean angrily, showing Hagrid a burn on his hand.**

"**Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," said Hagrid, nodding.**

"So now we know where the blasted end part came from," Fred commented.

"**Eurgh!" said Lavender Brown again. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"**

"**Ah, some of 'em have got stings," said Hagrid enthusiastically (Lavender quickly withdrew her hand from the box).**

"I'm surprised she had her hand in there in the first place," Hermione sniffed, she had nothing against Lavender, she just knew the other girl didn't care for messes.

**"I reckon they're the males… The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies … I think they might be ter suck blood."**

"And they just keep getting better don't they," George chuckled shakily.

"**Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," said Malfoy sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"**

"**Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione snapped. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"**

"As I recall, that oaf did have a pet dragon in first year," Draco pointed out coldly, "And if you th …"

"You mean Hagrid finally got his dragon!" Sirius interrupted, grinning.

"There was a dragon at Hogwarts!" Molly exclaimed. "In your first year!"

"You mean that wasn't just a joke?" Neville asked looking at Harry for confirmation.

"Of course not Neville, we were trying to get Norbert out of Hogwarts," Harry nodded to Neville.

"Norbert?" Sirius snorted. "Only Hagrid would name a dragon, Norbert."

"Actually, her name is Norberta," Tonks explained and the others turned their heads to her.

"Norbert is a girl?!" Ron asked in disbelief and Tonks nodded her head. "How do you know that?"

"Charlie wrote to me," Tonks answered. "I was actually going to help get Norberta, but I had to re-write my report instead … I sort of spilled ink on it …" she finished blushing. "Charlie told me about her though, afterward."

"I wonder why he never mentioned that in his letters to me," Ron frowned.

"Let me get this straight," Molly stated through clenched teeth, her eyes narrowed with rage. "In your first year, Hagrid had a dragon and you got Charlie to help you get rid of it."

"Er … we sort of shipped him …. er … her to Romania," Ron corrected in a mumbled voice, this was probably why Charlie had never wrote to him … in case their mum found out.

"We will talk about this later Ronald," Molly forced out in a deadly voice and Ron gulped, which caused Draco to snigger, looking smug.

"Hermione, did you help with this?" Duncan asked, looking white. To him, dragons were scary enough, but reading this book thus far he found that not everything was what it seemed. However, after Molly's reaction, he was sure he had a right to be scared.

"We were helping Hagrid," Harry explained, hating that his friends were getting into trouble. "And … er … no one was …. seriously hurt."

_Except for the fact that I as poisoned by the blasted dragon's bite_, Ron thought bitterly, but knew better than to say that out loud.

**Harry and Ron grinned at Hagrid, who gave them a furtive smile from behind his bushy beard. Hagrid would have liked nothing better than a pet dragon, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew only too well - he had owned one for a brief period during their first year, a vicious Norwegian Ridgeback by the name of Norbert. Hagrid simply loved monstrous creatures, the more lethal, the better.**

"Vicious!" Molly growled and the trio all groaned. Stupid book just had to go and make things worse.

"**Well, at least the skrewts are small," said Ron as they made their way back up to the castle for lunch an hour later.**

"Why did you have to go and say that," Ginny groaned. "You know there's now going to be a giant in the future."

"You don't think they really would, do you," Neville moaned, looking at Hermione.

"Don't know," Hermione sighed.

"**They are now," said Hermione in an exasperated voice, "but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."**

"**Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure seasickness or something, will it?" said Ron, grinning slyly at her.**

"**You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up," said Hermione. "As a matter of fact I think he's right.**

"What was that? Did little miss perfect agree with me?" Draco questioned smugly.

"Seriously, I think the world is coming to an end," Fred groaned dramatically.

"Nah, that will happened when Ron agrees with Malfoy," George tapped a finger to his cheek thoughtfully.

**The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all."**

"Wow, Hermione, I never knew you were so dramatic," George chuckled. "Do you really think they're going to attack us?"

"Don't know," Hermione answered tiredly.

**They sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to lamb chops and potatoes. Hermione began to eat so fast that Harry and Ron stared at her.**

"**Er - is this the new stand on elf rights?" said Ron. "You're going to make yourself puke instead?"**

Several people chuckled at that as Hermione glared at Ron.

"**No," said Hermione, with as much dignity as she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts.**

There was more laughter at that as Hermione blushed.

"You really shouldn't talk with your mouth full, Hermione," Ron admonished in a serious tone.

"Shut up," Hermione growled at him.

**"I just want to get to the library."**

"You've never had to eat at top speed before going to the library before," Harry pointed out.

"**What?" said Ron in disbelief. "Hermione - it's the first day back! We haven't even got homework yet!"**

**Hermione shrugged and continued to shovel down her food as though she had not eaten for days. Then she leapt to her feet, said, "See you at dinner!" and departed at high speed.**

"Hermione, you know it's not healthy to eat so quickly and so much," Juliet commented in concern.

"I'm sure I have a reason, Mum," Hermione sighed looking thoughtful. She ignored the questioning looks from Harry, Ron and her parents, she wasn't about to explain until she was sure, but she thought this had something to do with the house elves.

**When the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon lessons, Harry and Ron set off for North Tower where, at the top of a tightly spiraling staircase, a silver stepladder led to a circular trapdoor in the ceiling, and the room where Professor Trelawney lived.**

"She lives in the room she teaches in?" Juliet questioned.

"Er … I'm not really sure," Harry responded, "I just never seen her leave that room … well expect for Christmas dinner last year …"

**The familiar sweet perfume spreading from the fire met their nostrils as they emerged at the top of the stepladder. As ever, the curtains were all closed; the circular room was bathed in a dim reddish light cast by the many lamps, which were all draped with scarves and shawls. Harry and Ron walked through the mass of occupied chintz chairs and poufs that cluttered the room, and sat down at the same small circular table.**

"**Good day," said the misty voice of Professor Trelawney right behind Harry, making him jump.**

"I hate when she does that," Harry made a face; she had a knack for sneaking up behind him.

**A very thin woman with enormous glasses that made her eyes appear far too large for her face, Professor Trelawney was peering down at Harry with the tragic expression she always wore whenever she saw him.**

"I hate that even more," Harry sighed.

"So we can see why you choice to stay in the class … clearly you like the teacher," Fred pointed out dryly.

**The usual large amount of beads, chains, and bangles glittered upon her person in the firelight.**

"**You are preoccupied, my dear," she said mournfully to Harry. "My inner eye sees past your brave face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead for you, alas… most difficult… I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass … and perhaps sooner than you think …"**

"Okay, so let's hope she's not making a prediction now," George grinned.

"As if," Hermione rolled her eyes. "She's said things like that all last year. It's not really hard to see that Harry's going to have difficult times ahead of him … he always does …"

"Thanks for making me feel better, Hermione," Harry grimaced.

"I'm sorry," Hermione sighed. "But it is true."

"And what about the thing I dread?" Harry asked.

"How many things do you dread happening?" Hermione asked right back. "If you really think about it, she's just making a general statement that she could later say that she had warned you something you dread would happen. It's not like she's telling you which thing you dread is going to happen."

"You have a point," Harry replied, but he still wasn't comforted.

**Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, who looked stonily back. Professor Trelawney swept past them and seated herself in a large winged armchair before the fire, facing the class. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who deeply admired Professor Trelawney, were sitting on poufs very close to her.**

"**My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars," she said. "The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle …"**

"Oh, that's like Astrology," Juliet perked up. "Can you really make predictions by the planets?"

"There are some that believe you can," Arthur answered her, "and others that don't think so. Divination is one of the more … subjective branches of magic. Of course there are real prediction and Seers that have visions of the future, but they are rare and it's not a subject that can truly be taught."

"So why have a Divination class in the first place?" Duncan asked.

"Actually Moody had once told me that he had learned a lot when he took Divination," Tonks explained and everyone looked at her in shock.

"I found it quick useful myself when I took Divination too," Teddy agreed. "Trelawney wasn't my professor though."

"Nor was she Moody's," Tonks nodded. "He said she hadn't been very helpful …"

"How could Divination be helpful?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Well, from my own experience, it was a way for me to learn how to read people better," Teddy answered. "It wasn't so much about predicting the future, but about learning how a person reacts to your question or your responses. You can't learn to be a Seer, but you can learn tricks that people tend to give away when questioned."

"So you can learn to be a more believable fraud?" George asked.

"Or you can learn how to interrogate someone in a way so you can get good answers out of them," Tonks countered.

"Really?" Harry mused, "that might have been interesting. Why doesn't Trelawney teach like that?"

"Don't know, but it might have something to do with the fact that her great grandmother was a real Seer," Tonks shrugged.

**But Harry's thoughts had drifted. The perfumed fire always made him feel sleepy and dull-witted,**

"Aren't you always dull-witted," Draco snarled.

"As if you can talk, your best insult is to call me Potty," Harry rolled his eyes.

**and Professor Trelawney's rambling talks on fortune-telling never held him exactly spellbound - though he couldn't help thinking about what she had just said to him. 'I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass… '**

**But Hermione was right, Harry thought irritably, Professor Trelawney really was an old fraud. He wasn't dreading anything at the moment at all… well, unless you counted his fears that Sirius had been caught… but what did Professor Trelawney know? He had long since come to the conclusion that her brand of fortunetelling was really no more than lucky guesswork and a spooky manner.**

Hermione nodded her head approvingly to that as Harry rolled his eyes.

**Except, of course, for that time at the end of last term, when she had made the prediction about Voldemort rising again… and Dumbledore himself had said that he thought that trance had been genuine, when Harry had described it to him.**

"**Harry!" Ron muttered.**

"**What?"**

"That's unusual," Hermione muttered to herself, but Ginny heard her.

"What's unusual?" she asked.

"Ron's usually the one that doesn't pay attention in class," Hermione shrugged.

**Harry looked around; the whole class was staring at him. He sat up straight; he had been almost dozing off, lost in the heat and his thoughts.**

"**I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn," said Professor Trelawney, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words.**

"How dare you, Harry!" Fred mocked glared at him before he started laughing.

"**Born under - what, sorry?" said Harry.**

"**Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!" said Professor Trelawney, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn't riveted by this news. "I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth… Your dark hair… your mean stature… tragic losses so young in life… I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?"**

"Wow, some physic she is, she can't even guess what time of year you were born in," George laughed.

"I would have thought everyone would have known when I was born," Harry commented thoughtfully, thinking of the books that Hermione had said he was in the first time they had met.

"That's true … we did know that," Ginny agreed, and then blushed as Harry looked at her. _Great, just go and remind him what a silly little fan girl you were before you met him,_ she thought bitterly to herself.

"**No," said Harry, "I was born in July."**

**Ron hastily turned his laugh into a hacking cough.**

**Half an hour later, each of them had been given a complicated circular chart, and was attempting to fill in the position of the planets at their moment of birth. It was dull work, requiring much consultation of timetables and calculation of angles.**

"**I've got two Neptunes here," said Harry after a while, frowning down at his piece of parchment, "that can't be right, can it?"**

"Aaaah," Ron started to say imitating Trelawney's mystical manner when George interrupted him.

"When two Neptunes appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses is being born, Harry," George interrupted, remembering what he had just read in the book.

"How did you know I was going to say that?" Ron asked feeling a little crept out.

"Because I'm a true Seer," George informed him dramatically.

"Yeah, a Seer of words," Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes, having peeked over his shoulder to look at the book. "It's what you were going to say."

"Oh," Ron blushed as George started reading again, sniggering his way through what he had just said.

"**Aaaaah," said Ron, imitating Professor Trelawney's mystical whisper, "when two Neptunes appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses is being born, Harry …"**

**Seamus and Dean, who were working nearby, sniggered loudly, though not loudly enough to mask the excited squeals from Lavender Brown - "Oh Professor, look! I think I've got an unaspected planet! Oooh, which one's that, Professor?"**

"**It is Uranus, my dear," said Professor Trelawney, peering down at the chart.**

"**Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?" said Ron.**

"Ronald!" Molly and Hermione both exclaimed and Ron cowered away from the glares that they were giving as most of the boys in the room sniggered at his comment. Molly turned her glare to her other sons as they laughed but Hermione's eyes stayed on Ron for another few seconds before she crossed her arms and huffed her annoyance.

**Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard him, and it was this, perhaps, that made her give them so much homework at the end of the class.**

"Thanks a lot Ron," Harry grumbled as Ron groaned.

"**A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect you, with reference to your personal chart," she snapped, sounding much more like Professor McGonagall than her usual airy-fairy self.**

"Oh no, the horror! How could she possibly sound like McGonagall!" Fred gasped.

**"I want it ready to hand in next Monday, and no excuses!"**

"**Miserable old bat," said Ron bitterly as they joined the crowds descending the staircases back to the Great Hall and dinner. "That'll take all weekend, that will …"**

"Not if you make up what you think is going to happen," George informed them.

"George! He will not make up his homework!" Molly hissed, though Ron seemed to be thinking that he had a good idea.

"**Lots of homework?" said Hermione brightly, catching up with them. "Professor Vector didn't give us any at all!"**

"**Well, bully for Professor Vector," said Ron moodily.**

"You don't have to rub it in," Ron grumbled.

**They reached the entrance hall, which was packed with people queuing for dinner. They had just joined the end of the line, when a loud voice rang out behind them.**

"**Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.**

The trio all rolled their eyes in exasperation, as the only time that Malfoy calls out to them was to be annoying.

"**What?" said Ron shortly.**

"**Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. "Listen to this!"**

Ron was already glaring at Draco, but now so were the rest of the younger Weasley. Obviously, this was not going to be good news.

_**FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**_

_**It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."**_

"Arnold," Arthur grumbled, not liking that his name was wrong, even if it was in an article that wasn't being pleasant towards him.

Draco had a hard time not laughing but it help that there were several people glaring at him.

**Malfoy looked up.**

"**Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed.**

"It's more like Skeeter is an idiot that can't even get the fact of a person's name correct," Sirius snarled.

**Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on:**

_**Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder.**_

"That must have been some handshake," Fred shook his head.

"Hm," Tonks seemed to muse, "that's not the really reason he quit. He told me that when a person you know is a Death Eater and wants you dead offers you their hand and you know their up to something, that's bad enough. But when the Head of the Auror department tells you it's nothing, you know you're better off leaving the damn department."

"Did he think it was a bad idea for you to become an Auror after that than?" Ginny asked.

"No, he said I was young enough that I can gain the skills I needed so I didn't have to worry about the Auror office politics yet," Tonks answered. "Of course he then told me not to be a mindless idiot and follow orders just because they are orders."

_**Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm.**_

Tonks narrowed her eyes at that, "I still don't believe that."

"Well seeing as who wrote the article, you have every right not to believe that," Sirius said to her.

_**Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.**_

"Idiot," Remus shook his head in exasperation, it was so hard to read the paper nowadays. "Obviously the Ministry had to be involved as soon as the policemen showed up there and the fact that you got there so quickly made the situation more manageable not worse," he added to Arthur, who's looking so pleased upon hearing that article.

"Thanks," Arthur smiled at him kindly. "Though even if that's not true, I'm just glad I was able to help Moody, I can take the knocks against me."

"**And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house - if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"**

Molly flushed at that and all the Weasley growled their protest towards Draco, who seemed to be trying to fade into the couch but it wasn't working at all.

**Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him.**

"Ronald, do not fight with that boy, I don't care what he says about me," Molly scolded to her youngest son firmly.

Ron scowled and crossed his arms.

"**Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry. "C'mon, Ron …"**

"**Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" sneered Malfoy. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"**

"You know you better hope that you don't make insults like this a lot in these books or I don't think you're going to last very long in here," Tonks murmured to Draco.

Draco gulped, he had no control over what he was going to say in the future, but he was sure that it will only get worse.

"**You know your mother, Malfoy?" said Harry - both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy -**

"I wish you wouldn't bother," Ron grumbled so only his friends could hear him.

**"that expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"**

Sirius laughed at that, "Good one!"

"Harry, you shouldn't respond to his teasing like that," Arthur sighed.

"But it was funny," Sirius countered, "though she's had that look for years now so it's not the git over there's fault."

"Funny or not, a response like this is only going to escalate the problems between the boys," Arthur pointed out.

"I'm sorry Mr. Weasley," Harry apologized but quickly added, "but Malfoy doesn't leave us alone whether we respond to him or not and I can just let him insult us without standing up to him."

Arthur sighed, he could easily relate to what Harry was saying, and he would have done the same thing in the boys' position.

**Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink.**

"**Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."**

"What's the matter Draky, can't handle what you dish out," Fred teased.

"**Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry, turning away.**

**BANG!**

**Several people screamed - Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face -**

"You tried to curse him, you sorry sack!" Ron hissed, rising out of his chair, though Harry had grabbed his shoulder before he could move. "Let me go Harry."

Instead Harry forced his friend to sit back down, "don't Ron you'll just get into trouble … besides your mum seems to be handling things."

Ron huffed, but it was true, Molly was giving Draco an in depth lecture about cursing people that had Ron feeling slightly better.

**he plunged his hand into his robes for his wand, but before he'd even touched it, he heard a second loud BANG, and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall.**

"**OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"**

**Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret,**

Snorts of laughter started at this.

**which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.**

And now it filled the room, as everyone looked at the pink face Draco, who was looking both angry and embarrassed.

**There was a terrified silence in the entrance hall. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry — at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head.**

"**Did he get you?" Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly.**

"**No," said Harry, "missed."**

"**LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.**

"Huh?" Harry asked, as he continued to laugh. "What do I have to leave?"

"He's not talking to you," Tonks answered, she was trying to hide her own amusement. "He can see out of the back of his head."

"Seriously!" Ron exclaimed and whistled. "That's got to be useful."

"Yeah, his eye is really useful, he said it saved his life tons of times," Tonks nodded.

"**Leave - what?" Harry said, bewildered.**

"**Not you - him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head.**

**Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.**

"That's right little ferret … run!" George laughed at Draco, who gulped.

"That's enough George … every one," Molly scowled at her son and the rest of the people still laughing … it didn't seem to do anything.

"**I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again - it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.**

The laughter in the room rose again and George was having trouble reading so everyone could understand what he was saying.

"**I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do …"**

"He's bloody right about that," Ron snickered, trying to show the proper anger he felt towards that was too difficult for him to do as he was laughing at what was happening to the ferret.

**The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly. "Never - do - that - again -" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.**

More laughter and Molly was now trying to get everyone to stop, with no success.

Draco on the other hand was furious and shaking with rage. He couldn't stand that he was being humiliated so much.

"**Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice.**

**Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.**

"**Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.**

"Brilliant," Ron snorted.

"Good old Moody," Tonks agreed laughing.

"**What - what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.**

"**Teaching," said Moody.**

"**Teach - Moody, is that a student?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.**

"Nah, it's just a useless ferret," George grinned.

"**Yep," said Moody.**

"**No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing.**

"Maybe that will teach you from messing with us in the future," Ron retorted to the blonde boy.

"You didn't do anything!" Draco growled his eyes furious.

Arthur sighed, this was what he was afraid of, things were only going to escalate from here on out.

"**Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall wealdy. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"**

"**He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, "but I thought a good sharp shock -"**

"**We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"**

"Yeah because going to Snape would help, the bloody git would have just given him points," Ron grumbled under his breath before he was grinning again. "Merlin I wish I could have seen the ferret."

"**I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.**

**Malfoy, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in which the words "my father" were distinguishable.**

"Oh, I wouldn't go running to your father about Moody," Tonks advised, "it would only bring more trouble on you."

"Hmph," Draco huffed, obviously not believing her.

"**Oh yeah?" said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. "Well, I know your father of old, boy … You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son … you tell him that from me … Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"**

"**Yes," said Malfoy resentfully.**

"**Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape … Come on, you …"**

**And he seized Malfoy's upper arm and marched him off toward the dungeons.**

**Professor McGonagall stared anxiously after them for a few moments, then waved her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms.**

"**Don't talk to me," Ron said quietly to Harry and Hermione as they sat down at the Gryffindor table a few minutes later, surrounded by excited talk on all sides about what had just happened.**

"None of which I think has anything to do with our family," Fred cried out gleefully. "Looks like you've lost this round Draky."

"A terrible lose too where you were completely humiliated," George added.

"Shut up!" Draco hissed.

"**Why not?" said Hermione in surprise.**

"**Because I want to fix that in my memory forever," said Ron, his eyes closed and an uplifted expression on his face. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret."**

Everyone laughed at that except for Draco and Teddy who was looking thoughtful. Teddy had hoped that if Draco heard these books he might realize that following Voldemort wasn't such a good thing, which he wanted so he could get to know more of his actual family he had left to him. However, if there were too many of encounters like this he wasn't so sure that would happen.

"Brilliant nickname Ron, I think we'll have to use it," Fred commented as George nodded his head.

**Harry and Hermione both laughed, and Hermione began doling beef casserole onto each of their plates.**

"**He could have really hurt Malfoy, though," she said. "It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it -"**

"**Hermione!" said Ron furiously, his eyes snapping open again, "you're ruining the best moment of my life!"**

"Come now, it's not that good," Hermione rolled her eyes.

Ron just shook his head at her; they were going to have to agree to disagree about this.

**Hermione made an impatient noise and began to eat at top speed again.**

"**Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening?" said Harry, watching her.**

"**Got to," said Hermione thickly. "Loads to do."**

"**But you told us Professor Vector -"**

"**It's not schoolwork," she said. Within five minutes, she had cleared her plate and departed. No sooner had she gone than her seat was taken by Fred Weasley.**

"Oh no, not that horrible git!" George gasped.

"You're the git," Fred grumbled, pushing his twin, neither one of them taking this seriously.

"**Moody!" he said. "How cool is he?"**

"**Beyond cool," said George, sitting down opposite Fred.**

**"Supercool," said the twins' best friend, Lee Jordan, sliding into the seat beside George. "We had him this afternoon," he told Harry and Ron.**

"**What was it like?" said Harry eagerly.**

**Fred, George, and Lee exchanged looks full of meaning.**

"**Never had a lesson like it," said Fred.**

"It seems perhaps you'll have a new favorite Defense teacher this year," Remus stated, not at all jealous as he wanted someone good to take over the post.

"Even if he is good, I don't think he'd be my favorite," Harry replied. "None of the other Professors would have taught me how to conjure a Patronus."

Remus smiled at him. "I suppose not."

"**He knows, man," said Lee.**

"**Knows what?" said Ron, leaning forward.**

"**Knows what it's like to be out there doing it," said George impressively.**

"**Doing what?" said Harry.**

"**Fighting the Dark Arts," said Fred.**

"**He's seen it all," said George.**

"**Mazing," said Lee.**

**Ron dived into his bag for his schedule.**

**"We haven't got him till Thursday!" he said in a disappointed voice.**

"Ah too bad," George finished, "And that's the end of the chapter."

"I'll read next!" Tonks volunteered, thinking that her old mentor was likely going to be in this one.


	15. The Unforgivable Curses

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Fifteen

The Unforgivable Curses

"**The Unforgivable Curses," **Tonks read with a frown, well she was right it is a chapter that Moody will be in, but not really a subject matter that she wanted to read about.

Neville shivered, he didn't want to hear about any of _those_ curse.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked so only he could hear. He nodded his head but he wasn't okay at all.

**The next two days passed without great incident, unless you counted Neville melting his sixth cauldron in Potions. Professor Snape, who seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer, gave Neville detention, and Neville returned from it in a state of nervous collapse, having been made to disembowel a barrel full of horned toads.**

"That's not fair, it's not like you melted your cauldron on purpose," Ron grumbled looking at Neville who didn't seem to notice what had just been read or his own words to try and support Neville. Ron eyebrows furrowed as he wondered what had Neville looking so miserable.

"**You know why Snape's in such a foul mood, don't you?" said Ron to Harry as they watched Hermione teaching Neville a Scouring Charm to remove the frog guts from under his fingernails.**

"**Yeah," said Harry. "Moody."**

"What, Snape's a moody git … we already knew that," Fred frowned.

"No he means that Professor Moody," George corrected grinning, though Snape in a fouler mood isn't a good thing, knowing that the Potion master was being bothered was.

**It was common knowledge that Snape really wanted the Dark Arts job, and he had now failed to get it for the fourth year running.**

"More like the Thirteenth year in running," Bill commented, "He was trying to get the job when I was there too … and always have been."

"Ah, poor Snivellus," Sirius interjected with a dark laugh.

**Snape had disliked all of their previous Dark Arts teachers, and shown it - but he seemed strangely wary of displaying overt animosity to Mad-Eye Moody. Indeed, whenever Harry saw the two of them together - at mealtimes, or when they passed in the corridors - he had the distinct impression that Snape was avoiding Moody's eye, whether magical or normal.**

Sirius laughed more at that.

"It's not surprising though," Tonks shrugged, "clearly Moody doesn't trust Snape and he would make his feeling known."

"**I reckon Snape's a bit scared of him, you know," Harry said thoughtfully.**

"**Imagine if Moody turned Snape into a horned toad," said Ron, his eyes misting over, "and ****bounced him all around his dungeon …"**

Almost everyone was laughing as Molly told them it wasn't funny (she seemed to have been amused as well though).

**The Gryffindor fourth years were looking forward to Moody's first lesson so much that they arrived early on Thursday lunchtime and queued up outside his classroom before the bell had even rung. The only person missing was Hermione, who turned up just in time for the lesson.**

"Bloody hell, that's like the opposite of normal," Ron laughed.

"Ron, don't swear," Molly glared at her youngest, who had trouble not rolling his eyes at her.

"I'm not often at class early, not when I'm with you two," Hermione grumbled back at Ron, who didn't bother hiding his eye roll this time.

"**Been in the -"**

"**Library." Harry finished her sentence for her.**

"Oh that explains it then," Ron snorted, his eyes twinkling with amusement when Hermione glared at him.

**"C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats."**

"Decent seats? What do you think this is going to be a show or something," Fred laughed.

"Well Moody does like to make things interesting the first time he can make an impression on people," Tonks explained, she'd never forget the first lecture he gave the Auror trainees.

**They hurried into three chairs right in front of the teacher's desk, took out their copies of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, and waited, unusually quiet. Soon they heard Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. They could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.**

"**You can put those away," he growled, stumping over to his desk and sitting down, "those books. You won't need them."**

**They returned the books to their bags, Ron looking excited.**

The twins sniggered at that as Ron crossed his arms muttering that Harry was probably just as excited as he was.

**Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled gray hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.**

"It must make it easier to learn names like that," Arthur chuckled.

"**Right then," he said, when the last person had declared themselves present, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class.**

"Saying you're all a bunch of trouble makers," George supplied, "and that Moody should keep a close eye on the lot of you!"

"I don't believe that's what I said," Remus replied looking amused, "though I might have given a warning about you and Fred."

The twins shared a look, it probably wasn't a good thing to be on Moody's list of people to watch.

"He's joking, he wouldn't sell out a fellow mischief maker, even if he has become a Professor," Sirius told them and Remus laughed.

**Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"**

"You didn't teach us anything about werewolves," Draco murmured, the only bit of information he learned on that subject was that Lupin himself was a werewolf.

"I believe Professor Snape went over that subject for me, earlier than I had plan on covering that subject myself," Remus responded.

Draco frowned, all he remembered about Snape teaching them Defense was the Potion Master saying how pathetic of a teacher Lupin was … it was rather entertaining.

"You mean you were really planning on covering werewolves too?" Harry asked him.

"I would hate to hinder the education of my students because I fear what they might learn about me," Remus replied, "though I must admit I had let Severus lecture suffice, even though I suspected that it wasn't as informative as I would have liked it to have been."

**There was a general murmur of assent.**

"**But you're behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," said Moody. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark -"**

"**What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.**

"Aw … Ronnie likes his new professor," the twins cooed together.

"Shut up," Ron growled, his ears turning red.

"He's probably just glad that we have a professor that knows something," Hermione tried to defend him, which only made the twins to laugh more and Ron to roll his eyes at her.

**Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at Ron; Ron looked extremely apprehensive, but after a moment Moody smiled - the first time Harry had seen him do so.**

"Look Ronniekins, he likes you too!" Fred snickered.

**The effect was to make his heavily scarred face look more twisted and contorted than ever, but it was nevertheless good to know that he ever did anything as friendly as smile. Ron looked deeply relieved.**

"Why wouldn't he be able to smile?" Tonks questioned Harry. "He's one of the good guys … okay so maybe most his smiles are intimidating or sarcastic, but still …" she trailed off lamely and then decided it was best to just keep reading.

"**You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago … Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore … One year, ****and then back to my quiet retirement."**

**He gave a harsh laugh, and then clapped his gnarled hands together.**

"**So - straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."**

Tonks was smiling throughout this paragraph as she read it, this was the dramatic, serious Moody she remembered giving her a lecture - even the part where he called on someone that wasn't giving him their full attention.

**Lavender jumped and blushed. She had been showing Parvati her completed horoscope under the desk. Apparently Moody's magical eye could see through solid wood, as well as out of the back of his head.**

"It can see through anything," Tonks informed him. "Moody put all the spells he knows to make it the best tool it can be." She knew that Moody was displeased that he couldn't spot when something was transfigured but she wasn't about to say that to everyone here … he wouldn't want anyone to know that though he wouldn't mind people thinking his eyes could pick up all forms of concealment.

"**So… do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"**

**Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Ron's and Hermione's. Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.**

"**Er," said Ron tentatively, "my dad told me about one … Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"**

Arthur grimaced, he remembered complaining at home about that curse, and how it was very difficult to discover who was cursed and who was acting on their own. He also remember venting about how the Ministry could believe people like the Malfoys, and many others, could possibly have been cursed when they needed no such help to be on You-Know-Who's side. He felt Molly put a hand on his, knowing where his thoughts had gone. "I'm okay, Dear," he smiled at her.

"**Ah, yes," said Moody appreciatively. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."**

**Moody got heavily to his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it. Harry felt Ron recoil slightly next to him – Ron hated spiders.**

That caused the twins to snigger as Ron tried not to shudder at the description … not wanting them to have more reasons to laugh.

**Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"**

**The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.**

**Everyone was laughing - everyone except Moody.**

Among the younger people in the room there was some laughter, and amusement, but none of the adults were remotely amused. In fact they all had grim expression.

"**Think it's funny, do you?" he growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"**

"No, I don't think I'd like that very much at all," Ginny grimaced, her expression dark, she knew a thing or two about being control without being able to fight it.

**The laughter died away almost instantly.**

"**Total control," said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats …"**

**Ron gave an involuntary shudder.**

Which the Ron in the room did as well, though this time his brothers were too absorbed with what they were hearing to tease him.

"**Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse," said Moody, and Harry knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all-powerful. "Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will.**

"Hmph," Arthur huffed, again thinking that the Ministry didn't do such a good job getting this right.

Draco on the other hand was smirking, thinking much the same as Arthur was, though for him that was a good thing.

"**The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped.**

Of course Tonks had to yell 'Constant Vigilance' much like Moody always likes to do.

"Merlin Tonks, you dont' have to be so loud," Remus grumbled, he was sitting next to her and he had very good hearing …

"Sorry Remus, but I thought it was necessary to get Moody's personality right, to heighten the reading experience," she informed him.

**Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.**

"**Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"**

**Hermione's hand flew into the air again and so, to Harry's slight surprise, did Neville's. The only class in which Neville usually volunteered information was Herbology which was easily his best subject. Neville looked surprised at his own daring.**

And now Neville seemed to be staring at the book as if he was in utter shock that he was volunteering. Of course he knew what the other curses where, particularly_ that one_ but he didn't think he would be the one to bring it up.

"**Yes?" said Moody, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on Neville.**

"**There's one - the Cruciatus Curse," said Neville in a small but distinct voice.**

All the adults (besides the Grangers) had a grim expression on their face as they looked at Neville, as the boy balled his fist but had a determined look on his face as he stared at the book. The others in the room looked at him wondering why he was so affected by what was happening.

**Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes.**

"**Your name's Longbottom?" he said, his magical eye swooping down to check the register again.**

Neville expression only got more determined; he never wanted people to take pity on him because of what happened to his parents. He remembered getting a lot of sympathetic words when he met new people when he was younger … how everyone only seemed to see his tragedy and not really see him.

**Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.**

"**The Cruciatus Curse," said Moody. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!"**

**The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretense, Ron pushed his chair backward, as far away from Moody's desk as possible.**

"Now now Ronnie, no need to fear that spider," Fred retorted, in a jaunting voice trying to tease his brother, but it was rather weak and he knew it. He was just trying to break some of the tension in the room, however, no one seem to pay him any attention.

**Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "Crucio!"**

Neville clutch his teeth, trying not to think of his parents but that one word seemed to make that very difficult.

**At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but Harry was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming.**

Neville was now shaking with his hands balled so tightly into fist that they started to bleed, and his eyes were wide open when horror. It was impossible for him not to think of his parents reacting just as the spider …

Molly had enough, she couldn't stand watching the poor boy who was obvious in a lot a pain without trying to help him. She got up and wordlessly hugged him, though Neville seem to stay tense in her arms as she did so.

"Why don't we get some hot chocolate, Neville," Remus stated, he stood up too, and looked at Neville with kind, sadden eyes.

Neville wanted to get out of the room, he didn't want to hear any more of this book right now, didn't want to think about what he just heard, but he didn't want to run away either. Looking at his old professor, the one that had encouraged him a lot the last year and who had always been nice to him and he nodded his head. It was only then that he noticed that Molly had been hugging him, trying to comfort him. He felt embarrassed, but sort of grateful as he walked to the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Ron asked when he friend was gone. "Why was Neville so upset?"

He was looking at his friends first but he quickly realized that they didn't know either so he turned to his dad, who looked like he wasn't sure if he should explain or not. Obviously Neville hadn't told them for a reason and Arthur didn't want to betray the boy's wishes.

"His parents had that cursed used on them until their minds broke," Teddy answered. "They are in St. Mungo's Hospital, unable to even recognize him …"

"Oh my …" Hermione gasped, her eyes watering.

"The poor boy," Juliet echoed her daughter's concern as she turned into her husband, who had a grim expression too. They had not known that magic could be used in such a violent and cruel way.

"No!" Ginny gasped, thinking of how nice Neville had always been to her, and how she never guessed that he suffered through something like this.

Harry couldn't help to think of his own parents and how he never knew that Neville situation was so close to his own. He couldn't believe that he never wondered why Neville lived with his Grandmother and not his parents before now.

"I'm not sure Neville would have wanted you to say that," Arthur rebuked Teddy; it was a few minutes later as there had been a long silence while the others reacted.

"Neville … er … that's the Neville in the future … told me that he didn't want what happened to his parents be what defines him with his friends," Teddy replied gravely. "By this point in time he knows that won't happen … it's just not something he can bring up easily," he finished, there was a tone in his voice that said he knew how hard it was to bring up something like this.

"I supposed I should keep reading," Tonks murmured, after another long paused as the people in the room all looked thoughtful. Even Draco seemed to feel somewhat sorry Neville, which wasn't something he was use to feeling.

**Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently – "Stop it!" Hermione said shrilly.**

**Harry looked around at her. She was looking, not at the spider, but at Neville, and Harry, following her gaze, saw that Neville's hands were clenched upon the desk in front of him, his knuckles white, his eyes wide and horrified. Moody raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch.**

It was now everyone else's turn to picture Neville's parents reacting like the spider. It made the already tense atmosphere even worse.

"**Reducio," Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar.**

"**Pain," said Moody softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse … That one was very popular once too.**

Hermione wondered if there were any other people that were cursed as badly as the Longbottoms but she was too horrified to ask.

"**Right … anyone know any others?"**

**Harry looked around. From the looks on everyone's faces, he guessed they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. Hermione's hand shook slightly as, for the third time, she raised it into the air.**

"**Yes?" said Moody, looking at her.**

"**Avada Kedavra," Hermione whispered.**

**Several people looked uneasily around at her, including Ron.**

"**Ah," said Moody, another slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth. "Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra … the Killing Curse."**

**He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled frantically around the bottom of the jar, trying to evade Moody's fingers, but he trapped it, and placed it upon the desktop. It started to scuttle frantically across the wooden surface.**

**Moody raised his wand, and Harry felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.**

Harry closed his eyes, he remembered learning earlier that this was the curse that killed his parents, that was probably were his foreboding feeling was coming from. He didn't want to hear about this.

"**Avada Kedavra!" Moody roared.**

**There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air - instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students stifled cries; Ron had thrown himself backward and almost toppled off his seat as the spider skidded toward him.**

Ron blushed at the mentions of his reaction. How could he be so scared of a stupid dead spider while his friends were facing true horrors?

**Moody swept the dead spider off the desk onto the floor.**

"**Not nice," he said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."**

**Harry felt his face redden as Moody's eyes (both of them) looked into his own. He could feel everyone else looking around at him too. **

Sirius growled there catching everyone's attention. "Sorry," he apologized when he noticed, "I get that this is important but it just seems like Moody is trying to get to Harry and Neville."

"He probably was," Tonks shook her head with a sigh. "He knows the lesson will stick more with them since it directly affects them. And he knows the others will also react more as they see their fellow students reacting so much."

**Harry stared at the blank blackboard as though fascinated by it, but not really seeing it at all …**

**So that was how his parents had died … exactly like that spider. Had they been unblemished and unmarked too? Had they simply seen the flash of green light and heard the rush of speeding death, before life was wiped from their bodies?**

**Harry had been picturing his parents' deaths over and over again for three years now, ever since he'd found out they had been murdered, ever since he'd found out what had happened that night: Wormtail had betrayed his parents' whereabouts to Voldemort, who had come to find them at their cottage. How Voldemort had killed Harry's father first. How James Potter had tried to hold him off, while he shouted at his wife to take Harry and run … Voldemort had advanced on Lily**

**Potter, told her to move aside so that he could kill Harry … how she had begged him to kill her instead, refused to stop shielding her son … and so Voldemort had murdered her too, before turning his wand on Harry.**

Tonks had read this without letting anyone interrupt her, or let any signs of despair stop her. She herself hated hearing this, but she didn't know the Potters.

Sirius on the other hand was shaking with grief and bitterness. He wondered how Harry had known the scene so clearly, though he believed that was what happened.

Harry too was affected by this, but Ron and Hermione both moved closer to him, and that made that slightly more bearable to hear.

**Harry knew these details because he had heard his parents' voices when he had fought the dementors last year – f or that was the terrible power of the dementors: to force their victims to relive the worst memories of their lives, and drown, powerless, in their own despair.**

Percy marveled at the fact that the dementors could make someone remember what happened when they were only a year old, something that Harry shouldn't have been conscious of at all.

**Moody was speaking again, from a great distance, it seemed to Harry. With a massive effort, he pulled himself back to the present and listened to what Moody was saying.**

"**Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it - you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it.**

"**Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared, and the whole class jumped again.**

Tonks didn't yell the words this time, she wasn't really in the mood to joke around right now.

"**Now … those three curses - Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus - are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get out your quills … copy this down …"**

**They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang - but when Moody had dismissed them and they had left the classroom, a torrent of talk burst forth. Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices –**

"**Did you see it twitch?"**

"**- and when he killed it – just like that!"**

**They were talking about the lesson, Harry thought, as though it had been some sort of spectacular show, but he hadn't found it very entertaining – and nor, it seemed, had Hermione.**

"They're kids, they don't remember what it was like to hear about those curses," Bill's soft voice carried to the others - he sort of wish he could have said the same but he was old enough to remember how horrible he war was. He looked at Harry, and though the boy couldn't really remember that part of it, he obviously knew more than his fellow students what it was like.

"**Hurry up," she said tensely to Harry and Ron.**

"**Not the ruddy library again?" said Ron.**

"**No," said Hermione curtly, pointing up a side passage. "Neville." Neville was standing alone, halfway up the passage, staring at the stone wall opposite him with the same horrified, wide-eyed look he had worn when Moody had demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse.**

Hermione couldn't help but look at the door that lead to the kitchen, wondering if Neville was doing any better and hoped that Remus was helping him. She wasn't the only one thinking that.

"**Neville?" Hermione said gently.**

**Neville looked around.**

"**Oh hello," he said, his voice much higher than usual. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner, I'm - I'm starving, aren't you?"**

"**Neville, are you all right?" said Hermione.**

"**Oh yes, I'm fine," Neville gabbled in the same unnaturally high voice. "Very interesting dinner - I mean lesson - what's for eating?"**

"He could tell us what's wrong," Hermione voiced her thought out loud, though only her friends could hear her. She wished that the book Neville could get some help for the obvious pain he was in.

"That's easier said than done," Harry replied in a grave tone, he couldn't really blame Neville for never bringing this up. He probably would have done the same thing if everyone didn't already know what happened to him.

**Ron gave Harry a startled look.**

"**Neville, what -?"**

**But an odd clunking noise sounded behind them, and they turned to see Professor Moody limping toward them. All four of them fell silent, watching him apprehensively, but when he spoke, it was in a much lower and gentler growl than they had yet heard.**

"**It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on … we can have a cup of tea …"**

"That's nice of him," Fred commented, "though I'm not so sure I'd want to have tea with the scary man."

**Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody. He neither moved nor spoke. Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry.**

"**You all right, are you, Potter?"**

"**Yes," said Harry, almost defiantly.**

**Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry. Then he said, "You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe, but you've got to know. No point pretending … well … come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."**

"You'd think he was talking to Hermione, the way he's mentioning books," George murmured, as he too was trying to get over their shock of learning what Neville went through.

**Neville looked pleadingly at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but they didn't say anything, so Neville had no choice but to allow himself to be steered away, one of Moody's gnarled hands on his shoulder.**

"Some friends you are, letting him get dragged away by Mad-Eye," Fred sent his rebuke to Harry, Hermione and Ron.

"Unfortunately I think he will be able to help Neville more than we can," Hermione responded gravely, again looking at the door to the kitchen, "we don't even know why that had affected him so much."

"Moody's a bit scary, but he can be nice too," Tonks confirmed.

"**What was that about?" said Ron, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner.**

"**I don't know," said Hermione, looking pensive.**

"**Some lesson, though, eh?" said Ron to Harry as they set off for the Great Hall. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right – "**

"Argh," Ron groaned, already realizing that wasn't something Harry would want to hear.

**But Ron fell suddenly silent at the look on Harry's face and didn't speak again until they reached the Great Hall, when he said he supposed they had better make a start on Professor Trelawney's predictions tonight, since they would take hours.**

**Hermione did not join in with Harry and Ron's conversation during dinner, but ate furiously fast, and then left for the library again. Harry and Ron walked back to Gryffindor Tower, and Harry, who had been thinking of nothing else all through dinner, now raised the subject of the Unforgivable Curses himself.**

"**Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses?" Harry asked as they approached the Fat Lady.**

"Only if the Ministry knew that they were being used," Bill pointed out.

"**Yeah, probably," said Ron. "But Dumbledore's always done things his way, hasn't he, and Moody's been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questions later – look at his dustbins. Balderdash."**

"That is his main philosphy," Tonks agreed nodding her head.

**The Fat Lady swung forward to reveal the entrance hole, and they climbed into the Gryffindor common room, which was crowded and noisy.**

"**Shall we get our Divination stuff, then?" said Harry.**

"**I s'pose," Ron groaned.**

**They went up to the dormitory to fetch their books and charts, to find Neville there alone, sitting on his bed, reading. He looked a good deal calmer than at the end of Moody's lesson, though still not entirely normal. His eyes were rather red.**

That had people shifting in their seats and looking at the kitchen again.

"**You all right, Neville?" Harry asked him.**

"**Oh yes," said Neville, "I'm fine, thanks. Just reading this book Professor Moody lent me …"**

**He held up the book: Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean.**

"**Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology," Neville said.**

**There was a faint note of pride in his voice that Harry had rarely heard there before.**

"I wonder why," Draco made the mistake of snorting and rolling his eyes at the comment.

"You think that's funny, do you?" Ginny asked him, her brown eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Never mind what that git thinks, he obviously doesn't have a decent bone in his body," Fred stated coldly.

"**He thought I'd like this."**

**Telling Neville what Professor Sprout had said, Harry thought, had been a very tactful way of cheering Neville up, for Neville very rarely heard that he was good at anything. It was the sort of thing Professor Lupin would have done.**

"Nah, Professor Lupin would have made him some hot chocolate and talked to him in a private location," George shook his head, as that was what was going on right now.

**Harry and Ron took their copies of Unfogging the Future back down to the common room, found a table, and set to work on their predictions for the coming month. An hour later, they had made very little progress, though their table was littered with bits of parchment bearing sums and symbols, and Harry's brain was as fogged as though it had been filled with the fumes from Professor Trelawney's fire.**

"**I haven't got a clue what this lot's supposed to mean," he said, staring down at a long list of calculations.**

"Why is there so much calculation in divination?" Ron grumbled, he had thought this was supposed to be an easy class.

"**You know," said Ron, whose hair was on end because of all the times he had run his fingers through it in frustration,**

Hermione had a hard time not smiling as she pictured Ron as he was described in the book.

**"I think it's back to the old Divination standby."**

"**What - make it up?"**

"**Yeah," said Ron,**

Ron leaned back in his seat so he wouldn't have to look at the glare his mum was shooting him. He also didn't look in Hermione's direction knowing he would see something similar there.

**sweeping the jumble of scrawled notes off the table, dipping his pen into some ink, and starting to write.**

"**Next Monday," he said as he scribbled, "I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter." He looked up at Harry. "You know her – just put in loads of misery, she'll lap it up."**

Bill chuckled at that, drawing his mum's attention.

"Tell me you didn't cheat as well," she demanded.

"It's not cheating Mum," Bill defended. "It's divination, it's all about interpreting and reading the person you're trying to make the predictions for."

"He's making things up!"

"Yes, but he's using the information he has learned from previous meetings to interpret what she wants to hear," Bill told her. "It's a more useful skill than the actual lesson is."

Molly shook her head in disbelief.

Ron on the other hand smiled at his oldest brother.

"**Right," said Harry, crumpling up his first attempt and lobbing it over the heads of a group of chattering first years into the fire. "Okay … on Monday, I will be in danger of - er - burns."**

"**Yeah, you will be," said Ron darkly, "we're seeing the skrewts again on Monday.**

"Hm," Harry made a face, he didn't like the thought that he might actually be in danger of burns.

**Okay, Tuesday, I'll … erm …"**

"**Lose a treasured possession," said Harry, who was flicking through Unfogging the Future for ideas.**

"Good on you Harry, use the book to make sure you cheat better," Fred grinned.

Which got Molly grumbling again**.**

"**Good one," said Ron, copying it down. "Because of … erm … Mercury. Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?"**

"**Yeah … cool …" said Harry, scribbling it down,**

"That's not something you should joke about," Sirius commented with a very dark expression, as he thought of his friend Peter and how he had become _that rat._

**"because … Venus is in the twelfth house."**

"**And on Wednesday, I think I'll come off worst in a fight."**

"**Aaah, I was going to have a fight. Okay, I'll lose a bet."**

"**Yeah, you'll be betting I'll win my fight …"**

"That sounds reasonable," Harry snorted; of course he would bet that Ron won his fight.

"Do not tell me you bet on fighting!" Molly scowled dangerously.

Ron gulped and then mumbled, "Well, we haven't yet."

"We bet a few times on Ron and Hermione's fights," Fred commented cheerfully as the two in question glared at him. "Made a few galleons too."

**They continued to make up predictions (which grew steadily more tragic) for another hour, while the common room around them slowly emptied as people went up to bed. Crookshanks wandered over to them, leapt lightly into an empty chair, and stared inscrutably at Harry, rather as Hermione might look if she knew they weren't doing their homework properly.**

Ron sniggered at his as Hermione glared at Harry.

**Staring around the room, trying to think of a kind of misfortune he hadn't yet used, Harry saw Fred and George sitting together against the opposite wall, heads together, quills out, poring over a single piece of parchment.**

"What are you two up to?" Molly asked, narrowing her eyes at them.

They shrugged, how were they supposed to know what their future selves were up to.

**It was most unusual to see Fred and George hidden away in a corner and working silently; they usually liked to be in the thick of things and the noisy center of attention. There was something secretive about the way they were working on the piece of parchment, and Harry was reminded of how they had sat together writing something back at the Burrow. He had thought then that it was another order form for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but it didn't look like that this time; if it had been, they would surely have let Lee Jordan in on the joke. He wondered whether it had anything to do with entering the Triwizard Tournament.**

Molly narrowed her eyes farther.

"Then it's not that," Fred frowned.

"We would have let Lee in on the tournament idea too," George voiced honestly. "Though I don't think he would want to join."

"I don't think so either," Fred agreed, Lee like to seat back and make comments about something like this than be in on it himself. "But we would still get his help on the planning of what we would do."

**As Harry watched, George shook his head at Fred, scratched out something with his quill, and said, in a very quiet voice that nevertheless carried across the almost deserted room, "No – that sounds like we're accusing him. Got to be careful …"**

"Accusing who?!" George asked his future self … he didn't get an answer.

**Then George looked over and saw Harry watching him. Harry grinned and quickly returned to his predictions - he didn't want George to think he was eavesdropping.**

"Right, we wouldn't want that, now would we," George laughed.

"Though of course you were eavesdropping," Fred added.

**Shortly after that, the twins rolled up their parchment, said good night, and went off to bed. Fred and George had been gone ten minutes or so when the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the common room carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a box whose contents rattled as she walked in the other. Crookshanks arched his back, purring.**

Hermione smiled, she loved how Crookshanks greeted her with a purr.

"**Hello," she said, "I've just finished!"**

Now she rose a thoughtful eyebrow, wondering if she was about to learn why she had been going to the library all this time.

"**So have I!" said Ron triumphantly, throwing down his quill.**

**Hermione sat down, laid the things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Ron's predictions toward her.**

"**Not going to have a very good month, are you?" she said sardonically as Crookshanks curled up in her lap.**

"**Ah well, at least I'm forewarned," Ron yawned.**

"Yes, it's always nice to know such things," Ron agreed with himself as Hermione shook her head.

"**You seem to be drowning twice," said Hermione.**

"**Oh am I?" said Ron, peering down at his predictions. "I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff."**

Draco couldn't help but shudder at that, drawing attention to himself, which he didn't really like … especially since it caused the others to grin at him.

"**Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?" said Hermione.**

"**How dare you!" said Ron, in mock outrage. "We've been working like house-elves here!"**

**Hermione raised her eyebrows.**

"**It's just an expression," said Ron hastily.**

"Yeah, one you know is going to make her upset," Fred sniggered.

**Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation.**

"Seriously Harry! Death by decapitation!" Tonks snorted. "Don't you think that's a bit far."

"Well I'm sure Trelawney will like it," Harry shrugged. "She's always predicting my death."

"**What's in the box?" he asked, pointing at it.**

"**Funny you should ask," said Hermione, with a nasty look at Ron. She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors, but all bearing the same letters: S. P. E.W.**

"Spew?" a few people repeated.

"Why do you have badges with spew on them," Juliet asked her daughter.

"Ew! I hope that's not real spew on them," George grimaced before he started laughing.

"I don't know, Mum," Hermione answered her mum and ignored George and the others laughing. "I'd like to find that out too."

"**Spew?" said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. "What's this about?"**

"**Not spew," said Hermione impatiently. "It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."**

"I didn't know there was an organization for elfish welfare," Hermione looked up excitedly, that's good she could get involved in that and maybe she could help the poor elves out.

"I never heard of that society," Arthur mumured thoughtfully, but before he could say anything else Tonks started to read, having looked ahead.

"**Never heard of it," said Ron.**

"**Well, of course you haven't," said Hermione briskly, "I've only just started it."**

"Oh," Hermione sighed, it would have been good if the organization had already been established, but at least she was working to start one now. She wondered how hard it was going to be to get this off the ground.

"**Yeah?" said Ron in mild surprise. "How many members have you got?"**

"**Well - if you two join - three," said Hermione.**

Several people chuckled at that.

"How did I know you were going to say that," Ron sighed.

"Oh come on, you'll join won't you," Hermione pleaded him.

Ron blinked at her, about to agree with whatever she just said.

"You haven't even started the organization yet, Hermione," Harry pointed out.

"Yeah," Ron shook his head, getting his senses back. "Besides Hermione, the house elves don't want any help."

"Hmph," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms.

"**And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew,' do you?" said Ron.**

"**S-P-E-W!" said Hermione hotly. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status - but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto."**

"You know it's probably best if your manifesto isn't so … offensive," Bill tried to suggest.

"Offensive!" Hermione glared.

"I mean if you do want to make changes, it's best not to be so aggressive in the wording," Bill went on to say.

**She brandished the sheaf of parchment at them.**

"**I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't ****believe no one's done anything about it before now."**

"**Hermione - open your ears," said Ron loudly. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!"**

"And this is the guy you're trying to get to help you," Fred laughed.

"**Our short-term aims," said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about nonwand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."**

"If you manage to do any of that, I'd give you a thousand galleons," Draco snorted, he had always thought the mudblood was smart but clearly she ignorant when it came to important wizarding matters. "They're elves, no one cares about elves."

"I care about elves," Hermione stated, glaring at Draco, "and I'm going to make sure that other people start paying more attention to them!"

"If you want to waste your time, go ahead," Draco shrugged.

"**And how do we do all this?" Harry asked.**

"**We start by recruiting members," said Hermione happily. "I thought two Sickles to join - that buys a badge - and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron – I've got you a collecting tin upstairs – and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting."**

"If you wanted him to record that you should have told him sooner," Duncan informed his daughter, he liked that she was so caring but she seemed to be rather caught up in all this.

"Yeah, so I could have told you that I'm not going to do extra writing when I don't have to," Harry added.

"Harry, I thought you'd be on my side," Hermione groaned, "you care about Dobby."

"Well yeah, but I don't know," Harry nodded, rubbing his head, "the elves do seem to like their jobs …"

"It's not a job if they don't get paid," she grumbled.

"… and I don't know if making all these changes will make them happier," Harry finished.

**There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on Ron's face. The silence was broken, not by Ron, who in any case looked as though he was temporarily dumbstruck, but by a soft tap, tap on the window. Harry looked across the now empty common room and saw, illuminated by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.**

"Hedwig!" Harry smiled, glad his owl came now because not only will she have Sirius reply, it made Hermione stop giving him a disappointed look.

"**Hedwig!" he shouted, and he launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window.**

**Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room, and landed on the table on top of Harry's predictions.**

"**About time!" said Harry, hurrying after her.**

"**She's got an answer!" said Ron excitedly, pointing at the grubby piece of parchment tied to Hedwig's leg.**

**Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee, hooting softly.**

"**What does it say?" Hermione asked breathlessly.**

**The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloud:**

_**Harry -**_

_**I**_**'**_**m flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore - they**_**'**_**re saying he**_**'**_**s got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he**_**'**_**s reading the signs, even if no one else is. I**_**'**_**ll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry.**_

_**Sirius**_

"You're coming back," Harry stated, looking at Sirius worried.

"Well of course I'm bloody coming back," Sirius responded with a huff and then chuckled, "actually I'm already back right now aren't I." When Harry still looked worried he added, "I know you want me to be safe, but with all that's happened my place is near you. I'm not going to run for whatever it is that's coming, I'm going to be right here to help you through it."

Harry nodded his head.

**Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione, who stared back at him.**

"**He's flying north?" Hermione whispered. "He's coming back?"**

"**Dumbledore's reading what signs?" said Ron, looking perplexed. "Harry – what's up?"**

**For Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist, jolting Hedwig out of his lap.**

"**I shouldn't've told him!" Harry said furiously.**

"**What are you on about?" said Ron in surprise.**

"**It's made him think he's got to come back!" said Harry, now slamming his fist on the table so that Hedwig landed on the back of Ron's chair, hooting indignantly. "Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you," Harry snapped at Hedwig, who was clicking her beak expectantly, "you'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food."**

"Harry, you really have to stop taking your anger out on poor Hedwig," George admonished, shaking his head.

Sirius however was silent, he hadn't realized that Harry would be so worried about him coming back, and that he would blame himself so much.

**Hedwig gave him an extremely offended look and took off for the open window, cuffing him around the head with her outstretched wing as she went.**

"Serves you right," Fred stated, using the same tone his twin had just used.

"**Harry," Hermione began, in a pacifying sort of voice.**

"**I'm going to bed," said Harry shortly. "See you in the morning."**

**Upstairs in the dormitory he pulled on his pajamas and got into his four-poster, but he didn't feel remotely tired.**

**If Sirius came back and got caught, it would be his, Harry's, fault. Why hadn't he kept his mouth shut? A few seconds' pain and he'd had to blab … If he'd just had the sense to keep it to himself.**

"Harry, please don't keep things from me because you're worried about how I'll react," Sirius rebuked softly, he wasn't really sure what he was supposed to say or do. "I'm supposed to care about you … I'm supposed to worry about you …"

"I know," Harry replied uncomfortably, he didn't really want to talk about this. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know," Sirius sighed.

"Don't worry Harry, we'll keep a close eye on Sirius now, and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Tonks smiled.

"Thanks Tonks," Sirius and Harry said at the same time, though Harry was slightly amused and grateful and Sirius grumbled.

**He heard Ron come up into the dormitory a short while later, but did not speak to him. For a long time, Harry lay staring up at the dark canopy of his bed. The dormitory was completely silent, and, had he been less preoccupied, Harry would have realized that the absence of Neville's usual snores meant that he was not the only one lying awake.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Tonks sighed. "What should we do now?"

"Why don't we have dinner," Arthur suggested, "it's getting late and … well," he looked towards the kitchen, "we should all be more in the mood to read after that."

Everyone agreed, so Molly got up and went to the kitchen. Remus and Neville were sitting at the table, each of them had a mug by them that were long since empty and Remus was telling the boy a story that involved his parents. The boy still looked sad, but he was no were near what he had been when they had left the other room.


	16. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Sixteen

Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

Neville was quiet throughout the meal, lost in his own thoughts. Remus had been very nice to him, not pushing him to talk or even bring up anything, just giving him a hot mug of chocolate milk. He wasn't sure what had made him open up to his old Professor, maybe it was that he knew Remus would listen and not judge him or he just needed to say something, but he let go and just got his feelings all out there.

After he had finished, Remus hadn't given him that look of pity that he was used to. He wasn't sure how it happened, but Remus ended up telling him about how his dad had once helped Sirius pull a trick on James Potter, and that had Neville smiling. He had heard plenty of stories about his dad from his grandmother, but they always seemed to be how Frank was so talented and good and things of that nature, that left Neville wondering what his dad was really like.

"Neville," the person next to him said as he took the last bite of his dinner he looked around the room. There had been a steady flow of conversation going around the table, though he hadn't paid attention to any of it, he hadn't even realized who was sitting next to him. He now realized that it was Teddy.

"Yeah," he grunted, wondering why the boy from the future was talking to him.

"I just wanted to let you know that I told the others about your parents," he was informed solemnly.

"Oh," Neville trembled not sure how he felt about that, but he supposed after the way he had reacted to the curse his friends deserved an explanation … and he definitely wouldn't have been up to giving one. He looked at the older boy and remembered that he was an orphan and knew part of what Neville was going was going through. It wasn't the same, as his parents weren't dead, though in some ways they were worse. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it, you helped me out in a similar situation once," Teddy said.

"I helped you?" Neville was surprised by that.

"Yep," Teddy nodded his head, but didn't elaborate.

"We should probably get back to reading," the announcement came from Arthur, and when Neville looked around the table he noticed that the dishes were floating to the sink and the others were starting to get up. Though he was still wondering how he could have someone like Teddy as the older boy seemed so confident unlike Neville himself, he too got up to join the others.

"I supposed I should read," Sirius said, picking up the book that had been left on a table near the couch that he was sitting in with Remus and Tonks. **"Beauxbatons and Durmstrang."**

"And the tournament begins," Fred exclaimed excitedly, things were probably going to start getting interesting from here on out.

**Early next morning, Harry woke with a plan fully formed in his mind, as though his sleeping brain had been working on it all night.**

"Aw, I love it when plans work themselves out," George smiled.

**He got up, dressed in the pale dawn light, left the dormitory without waking Ron, and went back down to the deserted common room. Here he took a piece of parchment from the table upon which his Divination homework still lay and wrote the following letter:**

_**Dear Sirius,**_

"You're writing Sirius?" Remus interrupted frowning, "Why?"

"Oh, he got the response back from me at the end of the last chapter," Sirius answered, he had been thinking about that all through dinner and hadn't spoken much to anyone. He had thought Tonks had told Remus about what he had missed, the two seemed to have been chatting a lot at least, but obviously she forgot to say something about this.

"I see," Remus replied and motioned for his friend to continued.

_**I reckon I just imagined my scar hurting, I was half asleep when I wrote to you last time. There**_**'**_**s no point coming back, everything**_**'**_**s fine here. Don**_**'**_**t worry about me, my head feels completely normal.**_

_**Harry**_

"As if I'd believe that," Sirius snorted trying to hide how upset he was that Harry was trying to downplay things.

Remus raised his eyebrows at Sirius, not seeming to want to bring the subject up but was telling Sirius that he was going to have to explain more about this reaction later. Sirius nodded his head before he started reading again.

**He then climbed out of the portrait hole, up through the silent castle (held up only briefly by Peeves, who tried to overturn a large vase on him halfway along the fourth-floor corridor), finally arriving at the Owlery, which was situated at the top of West Tower.**

**The Owlery was a circular stone room, rather cold and drafty, because none of the windows had glass in them. The floor was entirely covered in straw, owl droppings, and the regurgitated skeletons of mice and voles.**

"Oh such a lovely image," Molly made a face.

**Hundreds upon hundreds of owls of every breed imaginable were nestled here on perches that rose right up to the top of the tower, nearly all of them asleep, though here and there a round amber eye glared at Harry. He spotted Hedwig nestled between a barn owl and a tawny, and hurried over to her, sliding a little on the dropping-strewn floor.**

**It took him a while to persuade her to wake up and then to look at him, as she kept shuffling around on her perch, showing him her tail. She was evidently still furious about his lack of gratitude the previous night.**

"Well you were a little short with her, Harry," George rebuked him. "You should learn to treat your owl with more curtsey."

"I'll try to remember that in the future," Harry sighed, he really shouldn't have shouted at Hedwig the other night, he was just upset about Sirius and when he was upset he tended to reacted more angrily.

**In the end, it was Harry suggesting she might be too tired, and that perhaps he would ask Ron to borrow Pigwidgeon, that made her stick out her leg and allow him to tie the letter to it.**

"But good way to work on her pride to get her to help you," Fred laughed.

"**Just find him, all right?" Harry said, stroking her back as he carried her on his arm to one of the holes in the wall. "Before the dementors do."**

Sirius sighed, he had already said what he had to about this to Harry, but he still wish that the boy didn't worry about this so much.

"The dementors aren't looking for Sirius like they were last year," Tonks stated. "There are still some, but Fudge has pulled most of them off because he doesn't have any leads on where Sirius might be now."

"Really," Sirius exclaimed, he had hope for as much, but he had still been worried.

"They are a few Aurors on your case now," Tonks nodded, "I don't know which ones, not actually being an Auror yet myself, but would gather they would some of the best as Fudge is still quite embarrassed by your escape and all."

"Well at least Aurors you can reason with," Sirius shrugged, he knew if he meet the dementors again they would give him their kiss, which was not a fate he wanted. That thought natural lead to what happened a few months ago where no only he, but Harry (and likely Hermione too) would have been kissed as well just because they were near him …

"Sirius?" Remus voiced softly, breaking him out of his dark thoughts. Realizing that he had the book, Sirius started reading again.

**She nipped his finger, perhaps rather harder than she would ordinarily have done, but hooted softly in a reassuring sort of way all the same. Then she spread her wings and took off into the sunrise. Harry watched her fly out of sight with the familiar feeling of unease back in his stomach. He had been so sure that Sirius's reply would alleviate his worries rather than increasing them.**

"Sirius has always been good at causing people to worry," Remus commented with a dramatic sigh. "He has caused me a many of gray hairs."

"Whatever, Moony," Sirius rolled his eyes at his friend.

"**That was a lie, Harry," said Hermione sharply over breakfast, when he told her and Ron what he had done. "You didn't imagine your scar hurting and you know it."**

"**So what?" said Harry. "He's not going back to Azkaban because of me."**

"**Drop it," said Ron sharply to Hermione as she opened her mouth to argue some more, and for once, Hermione heeded him, and fell silent.**

The twins and Ginny sniggered at this as Hermione looked offended. Ron on the other hand looked mildly surprised that she had listen to him.

**Harry did his best not to worry about Sirius over the next couple of weeks. True, he could not stop himself from looking anxiously around every morning when the post owls arrived, nor, late at night before he went to sleep, prevent himself from seeing horrible visions of Sirius, cornered by dementors down some dark London street, but between times he tried to keep his mind off his godfather.**

Sirius couldn't help but groan at that.

"Merlin Harry, I never knew you were such a pessimist," Fred frowned. "You need to learn to relax a little."

"And realize that a guy that escaped being capture for a year with everyone looking for him, will be able to avoid being found when he comes back," George added.

Harry nodded his head, but that didn't he could stop his book self from worrying. He too probably would have been a lot more worried if Sirius wasn't sitting in the room right now, safe as any of them were.

**He wished he still had Quidditch to distract him; nothing worked so well on a troubled mind as a good, hard training session. On the other hand, their lessons were becoming more difficult and demanding than ever before, particularly Moody's Defense Against the Dark Arts.**

**To their surprise, Professor Moody had announced that he would be putting the Imperius Curse on each of them in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.**

"He can't do that!" Percy shouted, he hadn't thought showing the fourth years was a good idea, as it wasn't Ministry approved teaching but had not chosen to say anything then. This, however, was going too far. "The curse is illegal!"

"That does seem like a little too much," Bill added, frowning.

"He's done it to the trainee Aurors for years … and so have the other trainers," Tonks explained, though even she was looking a little uneasy, it was one thing to use the curse on people who were choosing to be Aurors, but quite different to use it on fourth year students.

"Oh what's your problem, it's not going to hurt us to have the curse put on us by him," Ron waved the concerns away. "And if we learn how to resist the effects that might be able to help us."

"I suppose," Tonks replied warily.

"No! It does matter!" Percy exclaimed hotly. "That curse show not be used at Hogwarts. It's dark and dangerous and the Ministry would definitely not approve of such a thing."

"Well then it sounds perfect," Fred grinned. "Who needs the Ministry's approval?"

Sirius couldn't help but agree with that so he started reading before Percy could say any more.

"**But – but you said it's illegal, Professor," said Hermione**

"See Hermione agrees with me," Percy pointed out.

"Well it is illegal," she murmured as her friends looked at her.

**uncertainly as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "You said - to use it against another human was -"**

"**Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," said Moody,**

"So it was Dumbledore that wanted this," Tonks murmured, feeling better about the lesson now.

**his magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, unblinking stare. "If you'd rather learn the hard way - when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely – fine by me. You're excused. Off you go." He pointed one gnarled finger toward the door.**

Ron and Harry started laughing and even Neville grinned, being somewhat amused for the first time since he heard about the curses.

"Oh shut up!" Hermione glared at them as she blushed, she knew why they were laughing.

**Hermione went very pink and muttered something about not meaning that she wanted to leave. Harry and Ron grinned at each other. They knew Hermione would rather eat bubotuber pus than miss such an important lesson.**

Now everyone was chuckling and Hermione crossed her arms, doing her best to ignore everyone. Things only got worse when her dad said, "That seems about right."

**Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them. Harry watched as, one by one, his classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state.**

Neville raised an eyebrow at that, he wouldn't mind not being as clumsy as he was, though he wasn't sure he would want to do astonishing gymnastics either.

**Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.**

"**Potter," Moody growled, "you next."**

Everyone couldn't help but lean forward, curious about how Harry was going to react to this curse, even Percy seemed to put his indignation at the curse being used assigned.

**Harry moved forward into the middle of the classroom, into the space that Moody had cleared of desks. Moody raised his wand, pointed it at Harry, and said, "Imperio!"**

**It was the most wonderful feeling. Harry felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. He stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching him.**

"It seems you're going to have to work on fighting it," Tonks stated, knowing that feeling as she had the curse used on her.

Harry shrugged, it's not like he expected that he would be able to fight it, not realized that he was one of the only ones that thought that.

**And then he heard Mad-Eye Moody's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of his empty brain: Jump onto the desk … jump onto the desk …**

**Harry bent his knees obediently, preparing to spring.**

**Jump onto the desk …**

_**Why, though? **_**Another voice had awoken in the back of his brain.**_** Stupid thing to do, really,**_** said the voice.**

"Then again," Tonks trailed off, her eyes widened and then gave Harry an impressed look.

"Merlin Harry, you're actually trying to resist it," Sirius told him.

Remus sat back in his seat; he probably had the best idea here about Harry's ability in Defense Against the Dark Arts, having taught him for a year, and more importantly how to conjure a patronus. The boy had shown an affinity for the subject, there was no doubt, but he was still surprised by his fighting so much on the first attempt.

**Jump onto the desk …**

_**No, I don't think I will, thanks,**_** said the other voice, a little more firmly… **_**no, I don't really want to.**_

"You know you make it seem like it's not you thinking that," Fred chuckled.

Teddy narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, wondering about that.

**Jump! NOW!**

**The next thing Harry felt was considerable pain. He had both jumped and tried to prevent himself from jumping - the result was that he'd smashed headlong into the desk knocking it over, and, by the feeling in his legs, fractured both his kneecaps.**

Nearly every one winched in sympathy for Harry's pain, and the boy in questioned wondered if it was worth it to fight the curse so much if it meant fractured kneecaps.

Draco on the other hand sniggered, luckily for him he did it softly enough that no one heard him as Sirius continued to read.

"**Now, that's more like it!" growled Moody's voice, and suddenly, Harry felt the empty, echoing feeling in his head disappear. He remembered exactly what was happening, and the pain in his knees seemed to double.**

"Shut up you git!" Ron hissed, as Draco's laughing got loud enough for the others to hear.

"**Look at that, you lot … Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention – watch his eyes, that's where you see it – very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling you!"**

"It is very good, I've only seen one other guy able to fight the curse the first time," Tonks commented to Harry, who looked uncomfortable and wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that.

"**The way he talks," Harry muttered as he hobbled out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class an hour later (Moody had insisted on putting Harry through his paces four times in a row, until Harry could throw off the curse entirely), "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."**

"**Yeah, I know," said Ron, who was skipping on every alternate step. He had had much more difficulty with the curse than Harry, though Moody assured him the effects would wear off by lunchtime.**

"Is that usual?" Hermione asked, "For Ron to still be effected by the curse after it was taken off?"

"Well, I wouldn't say usually," Remus answered, which caused Ron to bow his head, trust him to be the worst at this stupid curse. "But it's known to happen some times."

"Yeah, with dimwits," Draco snorted, but he couldn't enjoy his laugh as the Weasleys all glared at him, along with Harry and Hermione - though he was pleased to see the Weasel sitting dejectedly in seat.

"Actually it had nothing to do with the person's intelligence," Remus went on to say (Draco would have said 'then that explains why Potter could do it' but didn't have the nerve). "There are many factors involved in learning out to through off a curse like this, most of which is being in control of your own mind." Remus didn't say more, because he didn't want to bring more attention on Ron (who obviously didn't want any at the moment) but he thought it might have to do with Ron's lack of confidence and the fact that he doesn't always try his hardest in his lessons.

**"Talk about paranoid …" Ron glanced nervously over his shoulder to check that Moody was definitely out of earshot and went on. "No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'Boo' behind him on April Fools' Day?**

Tonks blushed at that which Remus noticed and he smiled. "You were the witch, weren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tonks murmured, blushing more and causing everyone to look at her, realizing that Remus was right. "Carry on Sirius."

Sirius looked like he wanted to ask her what happened but the look she was giving him, so much like her mum's, told him that he better not push her this time, "Fine."

**And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we've got to do?"**

**All the fourth years had noticed a definite increase in the amount of work they were required to do this term. Professor McGonagall explained why, when the class gave a particularly loud groan at the amount of Transfiguration homework she had assigned.**

"That's not the right class for loud groans," George voiced cheerfully. "Charms would have been better."

"**You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" she told them, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her square spectacles. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer —"**

"**We don't take O.W.L.s till fifth year!" said Dean Thomas indignantly.**

"Seriously, we don't need two years to study for those tests!" Ron gasped.

"But they're not just some test, they're important for our education," Hermione replied, getting nervous about the exams all ready.

"Hermione you probably could take the test now and pass," Ron told her, noticing her nerves. "And the rest of us don't need to prepare for something so far in advance."

"**Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that your pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!"**

"Well those things are sharp!" Fred smirked.

**Hermione, who had turned rather pink again, seemed to be trying not to look too pleased with herself.**

"And failing," Ron pointed out, the Hermione in the room looked very pleased with herself … he didn't realize that was from what he had said and not from the book. Now, of course she was making a face at him.

Bill made a mental note that he should talk to his youngest brother, it seemed that Ron had a knack for saying the right thing quickly followed by saying something to stuff it up.

**Harry and Ron were deeply amused when Professor Trelawney told them that they had received top marks for their homework in their next Divination class.**

Molly shook her head, if the teacher was going to expect that kind of work her son was going to keep doing it.

**She read out large portions of their predictions, commending them for their unflinching acceptance of the horrors in store for them – but they were less amused when she asked them to do the same thing for the month after next; both of them were running out of ideas for catastrophes.**

"You shouldn't have gone so big at the beginning," Fred informed them. "You're supposed to start little and then go for the really messed up stuff later."

"How is Harry supposed to make predictions for next month when he's supposed to be decapitated in this month?" George wondered out loud.

**Meanwhile Professor Binns, the ghost who taught History of Magic, had them writing weekly essays on the goblin rebellions of the eighteenth century.**

"I stopped turning in my history essays a long time along, it's not like Binns knows if you do it or not," Fred grinned.

"Frederick Weasley …" Molly started.

"I'm only joking mum, I stopped turning them in because I stopped taking the class," Fred informed her.

"Oh," she blushed, she had forgotten about that.

**Professor Snape was forcing them to research antidotes. They took this one seriously, as he had hinted that he might be poisoning one of them before Christmas to see if their antidote worked.**

Both Harry and Neville gulped, both thinking they might be the one picked as Snape's guinea pig. Of course Harry was usually Snape's first choice; Neville seemed to be a close second.

**Professor Flitwick had asked them to read three extra books in preparation for their lesson on Summoning Charms.**

"Three extra books!" Ron groaned, "Is the Summoning Charm really that hard to do?"

"It can be," Percy shrugged, "though like most other charms once you learn the trick of it, it's easy enough to do."

**Even Hagrid was adding to their workload. The Blast-Ended Skrewts were growing at a remarkable pace given that nobody had yet discovered what they ate. Hagrid was delighted, and as part of their "project," suggested that they come down to his hut on alternate evenings to observe the skrewts and make notes on their extraordinary behavior.**

"You've got to be kidding me," Draco groaned, that sounded like the worst use of his time possible.

"And he spent most of his day with Crabbe and Goyle so that's saying something," Ginny snickered.

"**I will not," said Draco Malfoy flatly when Hagrid had proposed this with the air of Father Christmas pulling an extra-large toy out of his sack. "I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."**

**Hagrid's smile faded off his face.**

"**Yeh'll do wha' yer told," he growled, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book … I hear yeh made a good ferret, Malfoy."**

Almost everyone laughed at that as Draco's face turned pink in his embarrassment.

"I can't believe Hagrid said that," Ron managed to say through his laughter, "that's bloody brilliant."

**The Gryffindors roared with laughter. Malfoy flushed with anger, but apparently the memory of Moody's punishment was still sufficiently painful to stop him from retorting. Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to the castle at the end of the lesson in high spirits; seeing Hagrid put down Malfoy was particularly satisfying, especially because Malfoy had done his very best to get Hagrid sacked the previous year.**

"You're not too good at doing things, are you," Ron asked him with a smirk and Draco glared murderously at him, but didn't say anything.

Teddy again was thinking it might not have been the best idea to bring Draco here to read with them, all that seems to be happening is the hatred seemed to be growing stronger on both ends.

**When they arrived in the entrance hall, they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. Ron, the tallest of the three, stood on tiptoe to see over the heads in front of them and read the sign aloud to the other two:**

_**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**_

_**THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY –**_

"**Brilliant!" said Harry. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"**

"Good," Harry and Neville nodded in unison.

_**STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.**_

"It's good about the early lessons, but do we really have to spend the extra time standing around waiting for the other schools to come," Ginny sighed.

"Don't you want to see what the new people are like?" Hermione asked - she was interested in hearing about the people that come from different schools. She wondered if their education differed from the one that they learn at Hogwarts.

"**Only a week away!" said Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, emerging from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him …"**

"**Cedric?" said Ron blankly as Ernie hurried off.**

"**Diggory," said Harry. "He must be entering the tournament."**

"Of course he would," Ron rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong with him entering the tournament?" Hermione asked.

"He's a bloody sixth year!" Fred exclaimed. "If we can't enter he shouldn't be able to either!"

"He must be of age," Hermione pointed out but that didn't seem to be the right thing to say.

"It's just not fair," George grumbled. "We should be able to enter."

"Tough luck mates," Sirius stated with a grin that they glared at, before he started reading again.

"**That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" said Ron as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase.**

"He's not an idiot, Ronald," Hermione groaned and before she could say more Sirius started reading again. Clearly the book was going to finish her sentence for her.

"**He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," said Hermione. "I've heard he's a really good student - and he's a prefect."**

**She spoke as though this settled the matter.**

"Well …" Hermione temporized as if she agreed with herself.

"That's like saying Percy would make a good Champion," Fred rolled his eyes.

"And what's wrong with thinking that," Percy questioned. "I think I would have made a good Champion if I was still at school at that time."

"Right, except it would be filled with death and danger," George snorted, "that's not really your cup of tea."

"Perhaps not, but I would still know how to handle myself as champion, if I were to be one," Percy went on stubbornly. Of course the twins were right; he wouldn't have wanted to be a champion, not seeing the point to risking his life for a glorified game. That didn't mean he doubted his capability to succeed as a champion … he was the best student of his year after all!

"**You only like him because he's handsome," said Ron scathingly.**

"**Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" said Hermione indignantly.**

**Ron gave a loud false cough, which sounded oddly like "Lockhart!"**

Hermione made a face, she hated whenever he brought that up. Hated that she had a crush on him, though it wasn't because he was handsome, but because she believe he had done so much.

**The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle. During the following week, there seemed to be only one topic of conversation, no matter where Harry went: the Triwizard Tournament.**

**Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs:**

"I didn't realize you hated gossip so much, Harry," Fred voiced, surprised.

"Huh?" Harry blinked, confused.

"You just compared it to contagious germs, obviously you're not one for gossip," Fred pointed out.

"Well most is about me …" Harry replied grimly, "and it never seems to be good."

**who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves. Harry noticed too that the castle seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning.**

"That better not mean the elves had to do it," Hermione grumbled.

**Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces. The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking, and Argus Filch, the caretaker, was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics. Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too.**

"It's not hard to figure out why they would be tense," Tonks explained, "they obviously want to make a good impression on the visiting schools. They're acting like Mum whenever visitors come over, it's so annoying."

Teddy's lips went thin as he suppressed a smile of agreement with that. Even when it was just the Potters visiting them, his grandmother always made him clean up the house.

"**Longbottom, kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!" Professor McGonagall barked at the end of one particularly difficult lesson, during which Neville had accidentally transplanted his own ears onto a cactus.**

Neville winced and lowered his head. That sounded particularly bad … and probably a little painful.

Remus frowned however; he understood why McGonagall would be upset about that, and also why she would have less patience than normal due to the arrival of the other two schools, but knew from experience that shouting at Neville like that will only make matters worse. A lot of Neville's problems stem from a lack of confidence in himself, and encouragement would do him better than reprimands.

**When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffiindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down beside Fred and George at the Gryffindor table. Once again, and most unusually, they were sitting apart from everyone else and conversing in low voices.**

"Which seemed to make you think we want you to come and join us," Fred said, thinking that was probably the opposite of what they wanted. Still he was wondering what was going on with them, just as everyone else in the room seemed to be doing.

**Ron led the way over to them.**

"**It's a bummer, all right," George was saying gloomily to Fred. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."**

"**Who's avoiding you?" said Ron, sitting down next to them.**

"**Wish you would," said Fred, looking irritated at the interruption.**

"I always wish for that," Fred agreed with his book self in just.

"**What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.**

"**Having a nosy git like you for a brother," said George.**

"I wonder what are you two up to?" the Ron in the room asked them, his brother often teased him, but they didn't usually do so as a way to avoid his questions. "It must be something big to have you irritated so much."

"Well we have no idea what it is," George assured him, thinking the same thing.

"**You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"**

"**I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," said George bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."**

"**Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" said Ron thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before …"**

"Too much dangerous stuff," Molly huffed.

"I'd have to agree with that," Sirius nodded thinking about what had happened at the end of last year and what Harry had told them about the end of his second year.

"And you don't need to be getting into any more danger," Molly added.

Everyone agreed with that one, even Harry, though that didn't mean it was going to happen though.

"**Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," said Fred. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."**

"**Who are the judges?" Harry asked.**

"**Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Hermione, and everyone looked around at her, rather surprised, "because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage."**

"Catching a cockatrice … is that all they have to do," George waved this off, though he turned a little pale, "that's nothing."

**She noticed them all looking at her and said, with her usual air of impatience that nobody else had read all the books she had,**

Hermione looked at Harry a little hurt for that by that comment and he pointed didn't look back at her.

**"It's all in Hogwarts, A History. Though, of course, that book's not entirely reliable. A Revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School."**

"Wow," Ron murmured with wide eyes, "I never thought I hear of the day when you said such horrible things about that book. I thought it was your favorite."

"It is," Hermione replied, knowing what the book hadn't mentioned and then added, "or it was."

"**What are you on about?" said Ron, though Harry thought he knew what was coming.**

"**House-elves!" said Hermione, her eyes flashing. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"**

**Harry shook his head and applied himself to his scrambled eggs. His and Ron's lack of enthusiasm had done nothing whatsoever to curb Hermione's determination to pursue justice for house-elves.**

Hermione frowned at her two best friends, she had hoped that they would help her, but she won't let the fact that they aren't interested to stop her from doing what she believed is right.

"I don't believe anything is going to stop her from pursuing justice for the house-elves," Duncan confirmed, looking at the determined look in his daughter's eyes.

"It's not," Hermione agreed with her dad.

**True, both of them had paid two Sickles for a S.P.E.W. badge, but they had only done it to keep her quiet.**

"Then you shouldn't have given her the two Sickles," Juliet shook her head, that would do nothing but encourage her.

"Okay," Ron replied, he didn't really have two Sickles to spare (he didn't have a Knut to spare) and if it wasn't going to work, he wasn't going to waste it.

**Their Sickles had been wasted, however; if anything, they seemed to have made Hermione more vociferous. She had been badgering Harry and Ron ever since, first to wear the badges, then to persuade others to do the same, and she had also taken to rattling around the Gryffindor common room every evening, cornering people and shaking the collecting tin under their noses.**

"Er Hermione … I'm not sure that's the best way to get people to follow your cause," Duncan informed his daughter.

"But how am I supposed to get people to listen to me if I don't talk to them?" Hermione asked him.

"I don't know, sweetheart," Duncan sighed, he really was out of league in this subject matter, having very limited knowledge about house-elves. "But you can't force people to agree with you, especially on a moral issue."

"But I'm right," Hermione huffed.

"Hmph," Draco snorted, she was definitely not right in the least about this subject.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at the blond boy, his opinion on this matter didn't matter much, he was biased.

"Being right or wrong isn't the issue here," Teddy explained. "You told me once that you never regretted how you started your work on elfish rights, but looking back on it, you would have done a lot of things different in the first few years if you could have."

Hermione frowned, not sure what he meant, "such as?"

"Gather as much information as you can, and observe the elves closely without directly dealing with them," Teddy answered rather quickly.

"You didn't even have to think of your response to that question at all," Remus noted and Teddy smiled.

"Well, I might have been told by curtain someone to pass a message on," he explained.

Hermione sat back in her seat looking thoughtful. This was information from her future self trying to help her … how could she not listen to this advice?

"**You do realize that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned, and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?" she kept saying fiercely.**

**Some people, like Neville, had paid up just to stop Hermione from glowering at them.**

"Sorry Neville," Hermione sighed, she could see what her dad meant about this not being the right way to go about this. Not to mention after hearing what Teddy said, she knew this didn't help.

"It's okay," Neville replied, though the thought of a glowering Hermione wasn't something he wanted to deal with.

**A few seemed mildly interested in what she had to say, but were reluctant to take a more active role in campaigning.**

"And what about those people?" Hermione asked looking at Teddy, "should I not say anything to them."

"I'm not sure," Teddy sighed, "I've already given you all the information that you told me to give you."

**Many regarded the whole thing as a joke. Ron now rolled his eyes at the ceiling, which was flooding them all in autumn sunlight, and Fred became extremely interested in his bacon (both twins had refused to buy a S.P.E.W. badge).**

"Don't give us that look Hermione, I thought you were going to stop campaigning!" Fred exclaimed, his hands up in a warding gesture.

"That's easier said than done," Hermione mumbled.

**George, however, leaned in toward Hermione.**

"**Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"**

"**No, of course not," said Hermione curtly, "I hardly think students are supposed to – " **

"**Well, we have," said George, indicating Fred, "loads of times, to nick food. And we've met them, ****and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world – "**

"It's true," George supplied.

"You do realize that agreeing with your future self doesn't count as a second opinion, right," Hermione pointed out to him.

"Good point," George shrugged and laughed.

"We've been to the kitchens too, Remus and I," Sirius pointed out, "and they do like their work."

"**That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione began hotly,**

"It's more than just that," Remus interrupted this time. "They're not human Hermione, which is not to say they don't having feelings and think, they just don't react the same way humans do. Just something for you to think about."

Hermione nodded her head, frowning; she was getting a lot to think about in concerns of the elves this chapter.

**but her next few words were drowned out by the sudden whooshing noise from overhead, which announced the arrival of the post owls. Harry looked up at once, and saw Hedwig soaring toward him. Hermione stopped talking abruptly; she and Ron watched Hedwig anxiously as she fluttered down onto Harry's shoulder, folded her wings, and held out her leg wearily.**

"Poor Hedwig, she must be tired after all that flying," Ginny commented, thinking about how she had flown back and forth from wherever Sirius was to Hogwarts.

"She'll be okay," Harry absently responded, but he looked concern too.

**Harry pulled off Sirius's reply and offered Hedwig his bacon rinds, which she ate gratefully. Then, checking that Fred and George were safely immersed in further discussions about the Triwizard Tournament, Harry read out Sirius's letter in a whisper to Ron and Hermione.**

_**Nice try, Harry.**_

Remus rolled his eyes, that was such a Sirius thing to say (or write in this case).

_**I**_**'**_**m back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that**_**'**_**s going on at Hogwarts. Don**_**'**_**t use Hedwig, keep changing owls, and don**_**'**_**t worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don**_**'**_**t forget what I said about your scar.**_

_**Sirius**_

"**Why d'you have to keep changing owls?" Ron asked in a low voice.**

"**Hedwig'll attract too much attention," said Hermione at once. "She stands out. A snowy owl that keeps returning to wherever he's hiding … I mean, they're not native birds, are they?"**

**Harry rolled up the letter and slipped it inside his robes, wondering whether he felt more or less worried than before. He supposed that Sirius managing to get back without being caught was something. He couldn't deny either that the idea that Sirius was much nearer was reassuring; at least he wouldn't have to wait so long for a response every time he wrote.**

"All that drama and now you're okay with it," Fred sighed. "Just like that."

"Well he's safe," Harry shrugged, that helped a lot to calm his nerves.

"**Thanks, Hedwig," he said, stroking her. She hooted sleepily, dipped her beak briefly into his goblet of orange juice, then took off again, clearly desperate for a good long sleep in the Owlery.**

**There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang; even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried up to Gryffindor Tower, deposited their bags and books as they had been instructed, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.**

**The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.**

"**Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron.**

"You're wearing your hat?" George asked. "No one ever wears their hats."

Ron didn't know what to say to that, it was true enough that no one wears their hats at school even if it was part of the uniform.

**"Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."**

**Parvati scowled and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her plait.**

"**Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall. "First years in front … no pushing …"**

**They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Harry, standing between Ron and Hermione in the fourth row from the front, saw Dennis Creevey positively shivering with anticipation among the other first years.**

"Why are you paying so much attention to the new Creevey kid?" Fred asked. "You've got a thing for him?"

"What?" Harry responded blankly looking confused, and uncomfortable when he couldn't think of anything to say to answer that question … he didn't know.

"**Nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"**

"**I doubt it," said Hermione.**

"**How, then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.**

"**I don't think so … not from that far away …"**

"That would be a long flight," Bill snorted, "plus they would have to fly over the English Channel or the North Sea … not very pleasant thing to do on a broom, I'll tell you."

"Have you done it?" Harry asked him.

"Yeah, had to, to get to Egypt the first time," Bill nodded with a sighed. "That trip took three days and my ar –"

"Bill!"

" … nearly froze off," he finished ignoring his mum's protest as his siblings sniggered.

"**A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate – maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"**

"Ron, they would all be over seventeen if there coming here to try out for the tournament," Percy pointed out and Ron grimaced at him, his ears turning red. "Besides you can't apparate inside Hogwarts."

"**You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" said Hermione impatiently.**

Ron scowled, he had just made the suggestion because he knew that Hermione would react this way, but Percy had to go and make him like a big git and the twins were sniggering at him.

**They scanned the darkening grounds excitedly, but nothing was moving; everything was still, silent, and quite as usual. Harry was starting to feel cold. He wished they'd hurry up … Maybe the foreign students were preparing a dramatic entrance …**

Sirius bark of laughter seemed to show his agreement with that line of thinking as he continued to read with more amusement in his voice.

**He remembered what Mr. Weasley had said back at the campsite before the Quidditch World Cup: "always the same – we can't resist showing off when we get together …"**

**And then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers – "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"**

"**Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.**

"**There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.**

**Something large, much larger than a broomstick – or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks –**

"Will there be a hundred people coming from the schools?" Juliet questioned, "surely there wouldn't be that many people entering the tournament."

"No, there's only fifteen to twenty that are entering," Arthur replied, "or at least that's the last number I heard from Ludo, it changes a lot, but it won't get into the hundreds."

**was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.**

"**It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.**

"Oh no, the poor dear, losing her head like that," Fred commented gravely.

"**Don't be stupid … it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.**

"Yeah, because that's not stupid," Draco snorted.

**Dennis's guess was closer …**

"What to say that again," George asked the blonde boy.

"It said closer, it wasn't a flying house," Draco drawled looking bored.

**As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.**

"Wow," Juliet breathed looking impressed by the description of the horses, "what are those?"

"Abraxans," Remus answered. "They're … well they were just described. It's not common for them to draw carriages but I imagine Madame Maxime is able to handle them well."

"Who?" a few people asked.

"You'll see, I'm sure," was the only reply Remus gave them.

**The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed – then, with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backward onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground.**

Neville sighed, it always had to be him jumping or being frighten.

"At least you stepped on a Slytherin's foot," Ginny comforted him and he gave her a weak smile.

**A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.**

**Harry just had time to see that the door of the carriage bore a coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars) before it opened. A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Harry saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage – a shoe the size of a child's sled –**

"Well that's certainly one big shoe," Ron snickered, "what's in there a giant?"

_Well you're half right,_ Remus thought drily but didn't say anything.

**followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.**

**Harry had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in his life, and that was Hagrid; he doubted whether there was an inch difference in their heights.**

"Merlin that's a big woman!" George whistled.

**Yet somehow – maybe simply because he was used to Hagrid – this woman (now at the foot of the steps, and looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.**

**Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.**

"I wouldn't think they need to do that, seeing as she is so much taller than everyone else," Fred commented, of course he never met this woman before, but if she's the size of Hagrid she'd never be hard to spot.

**Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.**

"**My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."**

"Oh … so this who you were talking about," someone mumbled.

"**Dumbly-dort,"**

**Sirius read this with a laugh and soon others joined him.**

**said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"**

"**In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.**

"**My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.**

**Harry, whose attention had been focused completely upon Madame Maxime, now noticed that about a dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks.**

"Why wouldn't they have cloaks?" Juliet asked, sounding a little concern for them.

"They must be wearing their school uniform," Arthur answered, "they probably want to make as much of an impression on us as we want to make on them, which I think in this case means not wearing something warmer over it."

**A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. From what Harry could see of them (they were standing in Madame Maxime's enormous shadow), they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.**

"'**As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.**

"**He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"**

"**Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses -"**

"**Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore,**

"I don't know, are those horse dangerous enough for Hagrid to like them?" George questioned.

"They're stunning creatures," Remus sighed, he would have liked to see them in person. "I imagine Hagrid would be impressed by them."

**"the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other - er - charges."**

"**Skrewts," Ron muttered to Harry, grinning.**

"Don't see what's to grin about," Draco drawled, "any situation that they're involved in can't be a good one."

"**My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong …"**

"So is Hagrid," Harry huffed.

"**I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.**

"**Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"**

"Man, to be an **Abraxans," Fred sighed longingly as his mum narrowed her eyes in warning at him.**

"**It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.**

"**Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.**

"**How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus Finnigan said, leaning around Lavender and Parvati to address Harry and Ron.**

"As if they would use the same entrance," Sirius snorted shaking his head. "They'd want to do something no one else would think of. They'd be highly disappointed if they came the same way."

"Okay Sirius, we get it," Tonks replied, "They want to make unique flashy entrances."

"**Well, if they're any bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," said Harry. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"**

"**Maybe they've escaped," said Ron hopefully.**

"**Oh don't say that," said Hermione with a shudder. "Imagine that lot loose on the grounds …"**

"Don't say that!" Neville whimpered, just hearing the words were bad enough and he hadn't even meet the creatures yet.

**They stood, shivering slightly now, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky.**

**For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping. But then –**

**"Can you hear something?" said Ron suddenly. Harry listened; a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.**

"**The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"**

**From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water – except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks – and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor … What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool … and then Harry saw the rigging …**

"And I thought the horses were impressive," Duncan commented in awe, this was incredible.

"Don't let Madame Maxime hear you think Karkaroff entrance was better than hers," Arthur informed him with a chuckle, "they're always trying to outdo the other … and Dumbledore too."

"**It's a mast!" he said to Ron and Hermione.**

**Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.**

**People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, Harry noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle …**

"Well don't they sound lovely," Fred guffawed.

"I wonder if they have any girls with them," George mused.

"My dear twin of mine, are you looking for a date?"

George glared at this twin but really, he had set himself up for that one.

**but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, he saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.**

"**Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"**

"**Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.**

"**Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and Harry noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd.**

"So Harry obviously likes this bloke," George noted.

"Karkaroff is a slimy git and you should be careful around him," Sirius responded. "I don't understand how they can let that guy teach."

"You know him?" Arthur blinked.

"I had the pleasure of meeting him at Azkaban," Sirius growled his eyes growing dark and emotionless at the same time.

"He … Karkaroff was in Azkaban! Why?" Harry gasped.

"He was a Death Eater," Sirius answered, and then started reading again he didn't want to talk about this now. And he really didn't want to think about Karkaroff being so close to Harry.

**"How good it is to be here, how good … Viktor, come along, into the warmth … you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold …"**

_Viktor?_ Ron thought frowning as Sirius continued reading.

**Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, Harry caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He didn't need the punch on the arm Ron gave him, or the hiss in his ear, to recognize that profile.**

"**Harry - it's Krum!"**

"Hole S …"

"Ronald!"

"It's Viktor Krum!" Ron exclaimed, ignoring his mum and Hermione's protest. "He's at bloody Hogwarts! I can't believe this!"

"That is so cool!" Fred and George shouted at the same time, too excited in their own rights to tease their brother about this. They might not be as obsess with Krum as Ron is, but they still think he's a brilliant player.

"I bet he'll be their champion!" Ron grinned. "Bloody hell that will be amazing! Sirius keep reading, I want to hear what happens next."

"That's the end of the chapter," Sirius smiled at him, holding out the book.

"I supposed I should read," Duncan grumbled as he knew he was one of the few that hadn't read yet and took the book.


	17. The Goblet of Fire

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Seventeen

The Goblet of Fire

"**The Goblet of Fire,"** Duncan read and then mumbled to himself, "I guess we're going to find out what that means in this chapter."

"**I don't believe it!" Ron said, in a stunned voice, as the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the party from Durmstrang. "Krum, Harry! Viktor Krum!"**

"We got it Ron!" Fred exclaimed, recovered enough to tease his brother again, "it seems like you've been going on that for ages!"

"**For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player," said Hermione.**

Ron gawped at her, shaking his head in disbelief.

"That's probably the worst thing you could have said to him," Ginny laughed to Hermione.

"**Only a Quidditch player?" Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn't believe his ears. "Hermione – he's one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still at school!"**

**As they recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall, Harry saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum's head.**

"Seems like Lee might like Krum as much as Ron does," George laughed. "I didn't think that was possible."

**Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked - "Oh I don't believe it, I haven't got a single quill on me -"**

"**D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?"**

Hermione rolled her eyes, "this is ridiculous."

"Says the girl that wouldn't let the signed note of Lockhart's go," Ron pointed out, "and he was a git, at least Krum has done something important."

Hermione flushed at the reminder of how she acted with Lockhart but was still going to remind Ron that she had been under the impression that Lockhart had done a lot more important things than play a game but her dad had started reading again.

"**Really," Hermione said loftily as they passed the girls, now squabbling over the lipstick.**

"**I'm getting his autograph if I can," said Ron. "You haven't got a quill, have you, Harry?"**

"No, but you should ask him for his lipstick," Fred smirked.

"**Nope, they're upstairs in my bag," said Harry.**

**They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron took care to sit on the side facing the doorway, because Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered around it, apparently unsure about where they should sit. The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.**

"**It's not that cold," said Hermione defensively. "Why didn't they bring cloaks?"**

"Aw, looking at our Hermione, defending our castle," George cooed. "Isn't that sweet."

"They probably hadn't realized that it was this cold at Hogwarts," Bill reasoned.

"**Over here! Come and sit over here!" Ron hissed. "Over here! Hermione, budge up, make a space –"**

"**What?"**

"**Too late," said Ron bitterly.**

**Viktor Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students had settled themselves at the Slytherin table.**

"Of course they would, it's the best table," Draco smirked.

"Or it's because their slimy git of a headmaster knows he should stick with the other snakes," Sirius countered darkly.

"I wish he sat with us, that would have been so cool," Ron sighed which caused Draco to smirk more.

Teddy raised an eyebrow, he was pretty sure that Ron wouldn't feel that way when he actually did sit near the Quidditch star.

**Harry could see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle looking very smug about this. As he watched, Malfoy bent forward to speak to Krum.**

"**Yeah, that's right, smarm up to him, Malfoy," said Ron scathingly.**

"Aw, somebody's jealous," Draco grinning with all teeth.

"Shut up," Ron hissed at him.

**"I bet Krum can see right through him, though … bet he gets people fawning over him all the time …**

"You do realize you are fawning all over him right now, and he's not even near enough to see it," George pointed out to his brother, who ears turn red but he didn't say anything.

**Where d'you reckon they're going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry … I wouldn't mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp bed."**

"That's just pathetic Weasel!" Draco snorted. "Do you really think Krum would want to sleep in your stupid bed?!"

"Obviously you don't know what it's like to be a true fan of someone," Ron retorted, glaring at Draco, "can we get pass this bloody part already."

Duncan started reading again, thinking the boy reminded him of himself when he had a chance to meet Gary Lineker and he went a bit … mad.

**Hermione snorted.**

"**They look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot," said Harry. The Durmstrang students were pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed.**

"Probably wondering if they could steal it without anyone noticing," Sirius muttered.

Remus raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed.

"Right, just because their headmaster is a slimy git, I shouldn't think the rest of them are," Sirius grumbled knowing what that look means.

"I'm glad that you know me so well that I don't even need to talk anymore," Remus chuckled.

**Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat in honor of the occasion. Harry was surprised to see that he added four chairs, two on either side of Dumbledore's. "But there are only two extra people," Harry said. "Why's Filch putting out four chairs, who else is coming?"**

"No one, Madame Maxime is so big she needs two chairs and Karkaroff would have pouted if he didn't get the same number of chairs though he doesn't need both," Fred commented as if that made perfect sense.

"**Eh?" said Ron vaguely. He was still staring avidly at Krum.**

"You don't need to keep noticing that," Ron grumbled under his breath.

**When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet.**

"Why would they stand when they saw their headmistress?" Ginny asked.

"It's a sign of respect," Bill answered, "I hear it's something that Beauxbatons tries to teach their students."

**A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.**

"**Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."**

**One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh.**

"Hmph," a few people grumbled, not looking too pleased.

"**No one's making you stay!" Hermione whispered, bristling at her.**

"Well clearly you're not going to like this girl," Fred observed, "what's got your knickers in a twist anyways?"

"Bill just said that they were taught respect, but clearly this girl doesn't have any for our school or Dumbledore," Hermione shrugged.

"**The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"**

**He sat down, and Harry saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation.**

**The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.**

Hermione crossed her arms and tapped her feet. She didn't like that the house elves had to work extra hard.

"**What's that?" said Ron, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.**

"**Bouillabaisse," said Hermione.**

"**Bless you," said Ron.**

Several people laughed at that and Ron bowed his head.

"**It's French," said Hermione, "I had it on holiday summer before last. It's very nice."**

"As I recalled it was your favorite dish to eat there," Juliet commented to Hermione and she nodded her head. She had liked the stew, though she wasn't sure she wanted the slave made version.

"**I'll take your word for it," said Ron, helping himself to black pudding.**

**The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts' robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep bloodred.**

"Does it really make that much of a difference having different colors in there?" Ron asked, looking at this friend, who shrugged.

"How should I know, I can't see what it looks like now," Harry told him.

**Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. He slid into his seat at the end and waved at Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a very heavily bandaged hand.**

"**Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?" Harry called.**

"**Thrivin'," Hagrid called back happily.**

**"Yeah, I'll just bet they are," said Ron quietly. "Looks like they've finally found a food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers."**

"You don't think they really eat that …" Neville whimpered so only Ginny could hear him, he looked disgusted.

"No," Ginny answered, "they probably just burned him or sting him or something."

**At that moment, a voice said, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" It was the girl from Beauxbatons who had laughed during Dumbledore's speech.**

"Of course it would have to be that one," Hermione mumbled to herself.

**She had finally removed her muffler. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes, and very white, even teeth.**

All the boys in the room paid closer attention to the book, thinking she sounded pretty.

**Ron went purple. He stared up at her, opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out except a faint gurgling noise.**

Ron started to turn color too, though it was only red, as again he thought that Harry didn't have to notice so much. Why did he have to be singled out and have his brothers sniggering at him.

"**Yeah, have it," said Harry, pushing the dish toward the girl.**

"**You 'ave finished wiz it?"**

"**Yeah," Ron said breathlessly. "Yeah, it was excellent."**

Hermione shot a glare at Ron, "You didn't even have any!"

**The girl picked up the dish and carried it carefully off to the Ravenclaw table. Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before.**

And now she glared at the floor, not wanting to look at Ron as she reacted to his actions.

**Harry started to laugh. The sound seemed to jog Ron back to his senses.**

"**She's a veela!" he said hoarsely to Harry.**

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it!" Fred laughed, "It can't be that she's a pretty blond girl that you fancy."

Ron didn't have reply to that, as he didn't really know what was going on.

Hermione on the other hand slummed in her chair slightly; though she tried not react to this news at all … it wasn't working so well.

Juliet looked at her daughter sadly, she had guess that her daughter might have feelings for one of her friends, and even more so that it was Ron. This of course wasn't something that her husband knew about, which was clear by his obliviously continuing to read as if there was no teenage drama going on, but she could see that her daughter wasn't pleased to see Ron so infatuated by another girl.

"**Of course she isn't!" said Hermione tartly. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"**

It was Ron's turn to slum into his chair as his brothers sniggered at that comment.

**But she wasn't entirely right about that. As the girl crossed the Hall, many boys' heads turned, and some of them seemed to have become temporarily speechless, just like Ron.**

"Hmph," Ron huffed as if this sentence proved that he was right and he wasn't some kind of idiot. Hermione didn't even hear him though, as she was hoping what Harry noticed was right.

"**I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!"**

And then she slummed again.

Bill shook his head; he really did need to talk to his youngest brother soon about what he says, because if his suspicions about his brother were correct he just stuffed things up again. Listening to Fred and George snigger, Bill also guessed that they suspected Ron feeling towards his best friend as well.

"**They make them okay at Hogwarts," said Harry without thinking. Cho happened to be sitting only a few places away from the girl with the silvery hair.**

Fred and George weren't the only one's sniggering now, as Sirius joined them and others held amused smiled at the mention of Harry's crush on Cho. For his part, Harry turned a deep shade of red and Ginny sighed as she looked at him, hating that he so obviously liked another girl.

"**When you've both put your eyes back in," said Hermione briskly, "you'll be able to see who's just arrived."**

**She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while Mr. Crouch, Percy's boss, was next to Madame Maxime. "What are they doing here?" said Harry in surprise.**

"Obviously they thought it was a good place to have a meal," Fred pointed out as if that should be obvious.

"They must be judges," Remus gave the actually answer.

"**They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" said Hermione. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."**

**When the second course arrived they noticed a number of unfamiliar desserts too. Ron examined an odd sort of pale blancmange closely, then moved it carefully a few inches to his right, so that it would be clearly visible from the Ravenclaw table. The girl who looked like a veela appeared to have eaten enough, however, and did not come over to get it.**

Hermione made a sour face at the ground, it didn't matter if she was a veela or not, he didn't have to want to get her attention back so obviously!

**Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Harry felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming. Several seats down from them, Fred and George were leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.**

"**The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket —"**

"**The what?" Harry muttered.**

**Ron shrugged.**

"Do you know what it is?" Harry asked the room in general, the others looked at each other slightly puzzled.

"I'd assume that whatever is in the casket will help pick the champions," Remus answered, "but it's been a long time since the last Triwizard Tournament and unfortunately that's not information that has been written in most history books."

"–** just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" – there was a smattering of polite applause –**

"Hmph," Percy huffed, they should applaud more for his boss … then again Mr. Crouch probably wouldn't want an overzealous greeting.

**"and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."**

**There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable.**

"That shouldn't matter," Percy grumbled, his boss was the better head of the department after all.

**He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced. Remembering him in his neat suit at the Quidditch World Cup, Harry thought he looked strange in wizard's robes. His toothbrush mustache and severe parting looked very odd next to Dumbledore's long white hair and beard.**

"**Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."**

"Hm … they probably chose two outside judges so that there won't be as much basis on the panel," Hermione mused.

"Unbasis my arse," Sirius snarled, "I bet they're going to go for the Hogwarts champion, well Bagman at least, I doubt Crouch cares much for national pride."

"Which means he'll be the better judge," Percy replied stiffly. "As much as I want a representative of Hogwarts to win, it would be unfair if the judges favored them because of where they come from."

**At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness,**

"Well of course he noticed," Fred airily interrupted. "He's Dumbledore, he notices everything!"

**for he smiled as he said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."**

**Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's.**

"**The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways … their magical prowess – their daring**

"Well that makes it sound likes it's perfect for you Harry," George grinned, "you've got more daring than anyone else I know."

– **their powers of deduction**

"And that bit counts you out," Ron smirked at his best mate and then added, "but maybe you'd do well Hermione."

"As if I would ever want to be a champion," she shrugged though looked pleased by his words all the same. "You probably wouldn't do so badly either," she added.

"Yeah," Ron replied smiling.

Duncan got an uncomfortable feeling that he quickly ignored as he moved on with his reading.

– **and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."**

**At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.**

"**As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."**

"Oh …" Remus exclaimed blushing slightly.

"What's the matter, Moony?" Sirius asked, noticing his friend's discomfort."

"It's nothing," he answered, but he could tell from his friend's expression that Sirius wasn't going to let this go that easily. "Fine, I heard about the Goblet of Fire before, I should have realized that sooner when Harry asked. Are you happy now?"

"Immensely," Sirius grinned.

Teddy laughed at the exchange along with the others.

**Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.**

"Is it safe for it to be on flames inside the casket like it was?" Duncan asked warily.

"The cup won't be hurt by the flames, the goblet was created so it could hold those flames," Remus replied. "And the casket probably has a similar charm on it so it can handle them as well."

**Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.**

"**Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.**

"**To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.**

"An age line?!" George all but shouted. "Is that all we have to cross?"

"It's drawn by Dumbledore," Teddy replied, "It's not a normal age line."

"We'll see about that," George grumbled.

"You do realize he's from the future and, judging by his smirk, probably knows we won't make it," Fred whispered to his twin.

"**Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion.**

"What happens if they do change their hearts after becoming a champion?" Duncan asked with a frown. This sounded really serious.

"Whether they change their hearts or not, they will still be champion, and they will have to do the task," Percy replied. "If they don't … well it depends on what the contract says, but they could end up losing all their wealth or be imprisoned or even die …"

"Put their name in the goblet could cause them to die if they back out of it," Duncan gasped horrified. "Do they at least get to read the contract that they're binding themselves to, or are you just allowing students to through their names into the Goblet without thought of consequences?!"

The wizards and witches in the room looked at one another not really sure how to answer that.

"As I understand it, it was believed the Goblet would not pick someone that would take on the task lightly and would later choose to back out," Teddy answered, "Dumbledore is giving this warning as a precaution, but even if more people added their names to the Goblet the outcome would not have changed. No one knows what the consequences are for not taking on the task for of all the Triwizard Tournaments that have taken place, no one has attempted to back down once picked as a champion."

"That does not really answer my question," Duncan countered hotly.

"I know, and I'm sorry sir, but it's the best I can do," Teddy sighed.

**Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."**

"**An Age Line!" Fred Weasley said, his eyes glinting, as they all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing – it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"**

"You still want to get pass the line after hearing what Dumbledore just said," Molly glared and groaned at the same time.

"They're using an Aging Potion," Bill pointed out, "they're obviously not trying too hard."

"And just what's that supposed to mean," the twins argued hotly at the same time.

"I've seen you guys come up with tons of brilliant pranks, among other things. It seems to me that your hearts aren't really into getting your name in the Goblet," Bill shrugged.

"Well that just shows what you know," Fred huffed, but in truth he was wondering if Bill might be right. They probably could have come up with something better, and had chosen to go with something that was simple in hopes that Dumbledore would over look that. That didn't seem so likely now that he thought about it. He hated the fact that he wasn't able to even try to be in the tournament because he was a few months too young, but did he really want to be the champion?

"**But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," said Hermione, "we just haven't learned enough …"**

"We've learn the same amount as other sixth years that are able to enter the tournament," George pointed out.

"**Speak for yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?"**

**Harry thought briefly of Dumbledore's insistence that nobody under seventeen should submit their name, but then the wonderful picture of himself winning the Triwizard Tournament filled his mind again … He wondered how angry Dumbledore would be if someone younger than seventeen did find a way to get over the Age Line.**

"I don't know if angry is the right word," Remus commented, as he would think Dumbledore would be worried about the younger student and if it was a fourth year, more than just worried.

"And if you're thinking about winning the tournament you're not really thinking about the dangers involved," Sirius agreed, not sounding like himself at all, but more as a concern parent. "Especially if you're more worried about Dumbledore's reaction than the actual task."

"Aw Siri, you're being all grown up and parent like," Tonks cooed to him.

"Shh, you're ruining the moment," Sirius glared at her, though he wasn't really upset.

"**Where is he?" said Ron, who wasn't listening to a word of this conversation, but looking through the crowd to see what had become of Krum. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"**

"Merlin Ron, you sound worse a fangirl," George moaned.

"No, you sound worse than Ginny when she's was fawning over Harry," Fred supplied causing the two mentioned to both blush and look uncomfortable.

**But this query was answered almost instantly; they were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students.**

"**Back to the ship, then," he was saying. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"**

**Harry saw Krum shake his head as he pulled his furs back on. "Professor, I vood like some vine," said one of the other Durmstrang boys hopefully.**

"**I wasn't offering it to you, Poliakoff," snapped Karkaroff, his warmly paternal air vanishing in an instant. "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy -"**

"But he doesn't show any favoritism or anything," Sirius grumbled.

**Karkaroff turned and led his students toward the doors, reaching them at exactly the same moment as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry stopped to let him walk through first.**

"**Thank you," said Karkaroff carelessly, glancing at him. And then Karkaroff froze. He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Behind their headmaster, the students from Durmstrang came to a halt too. Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face and fixed upon his scar.**

Harry sighed, he hated when people made a big deal out of noticing his scar … about realizing who he was.

**The Durmstrang students were staring curiously at Harry too. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw comprehension dawn on a few of their faces. The boy with food all down his front nudged the girl next to him and pointed openly at Harry's forehead.**

"Do they have to be so bloody obvious," Harry grumbled so only his friends could hear him.

"I'm sorry Harry," Hermione sighed in sympathy.

Ron on the other hand frowned, he always knew that Harry didn't like his fame much, but it wasn't until now that he understood that it really could be annoying sometimes.

"**Yeah, that's Harry Potter," said a growling voice from behind them.**

**Professor Karkaroff spun around. Mad-Eye Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang headmaster.**

Sirius grinned at this. Knowing that Moody was there keeping a close eye on Karkaroff made him feel better since finding out that that oily git would be near Harry. Not that he believed that Karkaroff would do anything to Harry - the spineless git wouldn't have the nerve - but still, it was nice to know that Moody will be bothering him all the same.

**The color drained from Karkaroff's face as Harry watched. A terrible look of mingled fury and fear came over him.**

"**You!" he said, staring at Moody as though unsure he was really seeing him.**

This reaction had several people chuckling.

"**Me," said Moody grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you ****might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."**

**It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind them, looking over one another's shoulders to see what was causing the holdup.**

**Without another word, Professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him until he was out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense dislike upon his mutilated face.**

"He must have hated that Karkaroff was let off," Sirius reasoned.

"I'm sure he does," Tonks agreed thought she had never asked Moody about this particular case, it was safe to guess a Death Eater walking free wasn't something Moody would like.

**As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.**

"**Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.**

"**All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."**

"That doesn't count, off course all the Durmstrang students that came would put their name in there," Fred huffed, rolling his eyes. "The only people that matter are the ones from Hogwarts."

"**Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me … wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"**

"Obviously you don't think you could handle being champion, ah Saint Potter?" Draco grinned at him.

Harry shrugged; he had to admit winning sound nice. It would be a way that he could make a name for himself that had nothing to do with his past, but what Sirius had said was right. If he was thinking about winning, than he wasn't really prepare for the actual tournament. No, he much rather sit back and watch the tournament … it might be nice to not be the student that's gossiped about most for once.

"He'd make a much better champion than you," Ron replied, "if you were picked you'd be the first person ever to back out of the competition!"

Draco glared at him but didn't respond.

**Someone laughed behind Harry. Turning, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.**

"**Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Just taken it."**

"**What?" said Ron.**

"**The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred.**

"**One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."**

"**We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.**

"I thought you said that he wouldn't really want to be in the tournament," Hermione commented to the twins and they shrugged, much more interested in hearing if their idea worked or not.

"**I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."**

**Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.**

"**Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then – I'll go first –"**

**Harry watched, fascinated, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley – Hogwarts.**

"That might be George than, they never carry stuff with their proper names on it," Ginny pointed out.

"That's true," the twins concurred together grinning, but George added, "But we probably made an exception this time. Don't want the Goblet to have more reasons to reject us after all."

**Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.**

"That's all you wanted really … all eyes on you," Bill rolled his eyes at Fred.

"Well that doesn't hurt," Fred agreed with a grin. He enjoyed being in the spot light.

**For a split second Harry thought it had worked – George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred – but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.**

There was a lot of laughter in the room, even Molly seemed to be laughing, though her laughter was more out of relief that she had nothing to worry about any longer … the twins were safe.

"I told you it won't work," Hermione commented haughtily to them.

"Well at least we get some nice white beards for our troubles," George replied, he was a bit disappointed it didn't work, but not so much so that he didn't enjoy the humor of the situation.

**The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.**

"**I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."**

"Why thank you Dumbledore," the twins chorused even though Dumbledore wasn't here and they didn't have beards, it didn't seem to matter to them.

"Did people only try the aging spell?" Sirius asked looking almost pained at the idea. "Didn't anyone come up with something more inventive?"

"If they didn't," Ginny answered pointing at the twins, "I'm not sure anyone else would have."

"That's just sad," Sirius sighed.

"You want the younger students to enter?" Molly asked starting to get angry again.

"No, of course not," Sirius was quick to reply, "I just want them to try something with more thought behind it."

"I think Sirius might be disappointed in you two," Ron mumbled to the twins, knowing unlike most things he said to them, they would take this to heart. As he thought, they both frowned at one of their idols not being pleased in their attempts.

"Maybe we should think of something else to get pass the line," George whispered to Fred.

"Maybe," Fred agreed frowning.

**Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione, also chortling, went in to breakfast.**

**The decorations in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. Harry led the way over to Dean and Seamus, who were discussing those Hogwarts students of seventeen or over who might be entering.**

"**There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told Harry. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."**

Draco made a face at that, he didn't really want Warrington to be the representative, as he wasn't what anyone would think was a good choice.

**Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust.**

"**We can't have a Slytherin champion!"**

"There's nothing wrong with a Slytherin representative," Draco interrupted stiffly, forgetting that he didn't want Warrington to be champion either. Better him than a stupid Gryffindor.

"**And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously. **"**But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."**

"Do any of you even know Cedric?" Tonks asked as the others chuckled or gave dark looks, "I mean besides the fact that he beat you lot at Quidditch."

"We have a few classes with him," Fred answered. "It's not so bad, but I'd much rather the champion be a Gryffindor."

"Understandable," Tonks replied, "as I hope you can understand that I hope it's Cedric, a Hufflepuff."

"**Listen!" said Hermione suddenly.**

**People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swiveled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. A tall black girl who played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"**

"Oh that's right, she is a bit older than us isn't she," George mused.

"Yeah," Fred agreed.

"You guys don't seem to mind that Angelina is able to enter when you aren't," Hermione noted.

"Well she's a friend," George shrugged, "it'd be cool if she was champion."

"**You're kidding!" said Ron, looking impressed.**

"**Are you seventeen, then?" asked Harry.**

"Obviously she seventeen, Potter, how else would she have entered," Draco rolled his eyes.

"**Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron.**

"**I had my birthday last week," said Angelina.**

"**Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"**

"**Thanks, Hermione," said Angelina, smiling at her.**

"**Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.**

"That's not much of a vote of confidence," Fred grumbled.

"She a good choice no matter what," George added.

"Okay we get it," Ginny exclaimed giving them a shrewd look, "you seemed to be rather defensive of her. Is there more to this?"

"She's our friend," they answered together.

"Hm … it seems like more than that," Ginny shrugged.

"Since when have you've been so nosy into our business," Fred asked her.

"Since you've started to tease me about Harry," Ginny responded, her face turning red as she mentioned her crush herself, and she refused to look at the boy in question. But saying this out loud changed things for her a little, she wasn't just going to blush and shy away from her feelings, she was going to face them. "So."

"Fair enough," Fred shrugged.

"Are you going to say more than that?" Ginny asked him after a short pause and he shook his head.

George however was looking at his twin with an odd expression.

"**What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall.**

"**We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," said Harry.**

"**Okay," said Ron, "just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."**

"Oh go on, you don't use your pinky very often," Fred joked to Ron.

"You can donate your fingers all you want, I'm keeping mine," Ron shrugged.

**A look of great excitement suddenly dawned on Hermione's face.**

"**I've just realized – I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!" she said brightly.**

The Hermione in the room brighten about that idea too, thinking Hagrid would be on her side.

"**Wait for me, will you, while I nip upstairs and get the badges?"**

"**What is it with her?" said Ron, exasperated, as Hermione ran away up the marble staircase.**

"I want to help the house elves, what's so hard for you to understand about that," Hermione demanded.

"Well … I guess it's just that I've only hear of elves liking their jobs," Ron rubbed the back of his head.

"But you saw Winky, how she was treated …" Hermione started.

"Yeah, and how she went to piece when she heard she'd be free," Ron reminded her. "And how she said she said house elves are supposed to be working …"

"That's just brainwashed mumbo jumbo that they learned from an early age that they have to act that way," Hermione huffed indignantly.

"Mumbo jumbo or not, that's not just an issue you can gloss over, Hermione," Ron countered, "and they're not going to want their lives to change just because of what you want."

"Ronald, It's …"

"Hermione, I'd think it might be a good idea to think about what Ron just said," Duncan interrupted before his daughter could snap back, she was definitely getting into her stubborn tones. "In the meantime I'm going to continued reading."

Hermione frowned, crossing her arms but listening to what her dad just told her.

"**Hey, Ron," said Harry suddenly. "It's your friend …"**

**The students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, the veela-girl.**

The twins were sniggering again as Ron turned to glare at Harry.

"Sorry," he mumbled to Ron, it wasn't like he was trying to tease Ron or anything, or that he wanted the twins to overhear him.

"Whatever," Ron sighed.

Neither boy seemed to realize that Hermione hadn't like hearing the comment.

**Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly.**

**Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks.**

"Hm … I bet that it's Ron's friend that's the Beauxbatons's champion," Bill mused amusedly.

Teddy snorted.

"Well I thought it was possible," Bill defended frowning; clearly if the boy was laughing at him he wasn't right.

"It's not that," Teddy replied trying hard to keep himself from laughing.

"So she is the champion?" Bill questioned.

"I'm not saying that either," Teddy snickered, giving up his fight to stop himself from laughing and just enjoying the moment.

"That's rather annoying, you know," Bill sighed, but otherwise let the subject drop.

"**What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron muttered to Harry as the veela-girl dropped her parchment into the Goblet of Fire. "Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?"**

"**Dunno," said Harry. "Hang around, I suppose … Madame Maxime's staying to judge, isn't she?"**

"That doesn't mean they can't go back to school," Percy explained. "There are still all the younger students that stayed behind after all. However, you are right that they will stay at Hogwarts to watch the rest of the tournament and take classes here as an exchange of teaching styles of sorts."

**When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.**

"**Where are they sleeping, then?" said Ron, moving toward the front doors and staring after them.**

**A loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione's reappearance with the box of S.P.E.W. badges.**

"**Oh good, hurry up," said Ron, and he jumped down the stone steps, keeping his eyes on the back of the veela-girl, who was now halfway across the lawn with Madame Maxime.**

_I should have come later_, Hermione thought miserably.

**As they neared Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mystery of the Beauxbatons' sleeping quarters was solved. The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid's front door, and the students were climbing back inside it. The elephantine flying horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside it. Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered instantly.**

"**Bout time!" said Hagrid, when he'd flung open the door. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"**

"How could we forget that," Harry commented, rolling his eyes.

"Well it is October 31 and we haven't visited him yet," Hermione pointed out.

Of course it had said that in the book only a few pages ago, but Harry hadn't really thought of it terms of time. They had been at Hogwarts for nearly two month and they hadn't seen Hagrid. That was just weird.

"**We've been really busy, Hag -" Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words.**

"Oh, don't call him a hag, that's not very nice Hermione," Fred teased her.

"I wonder what's the matter," Hermione murmured nervously as she ignored Fred.

**Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie. This wasn't the worst of it, though; he had evidently tried to tame his hair, using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches – perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill's, but found he had too much hair. The look didn't really suit Hagrid at all. For a moment, Hermione goggled at him, then, obviously deciding not to comment, she said, "Erm - where are the skrewts."**

Hermione had relaxed immediately and others starting laughing at the description of Hagrid dressed like that.

"What's up with him?" Ron asked with a snort.

"I have a guess," Sirius answered looking amused, though he didn't elaborate, "this should be good."

"**Out by the pumpkin patch," said Hagrid happily. "They're get-tin' massive, mus' be nearly three foot long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other."**

"Good," several people exclaimed at the same time.

"**Oh no, really?" said Hermione, shooting a repressive look at Ron, who, staring at Hagrid's odd ****hairstyle, had just opened his mouth to say something about it.**

"Oh come on Hermione, you want to know what's up with him as much as I do," Ron sighed.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you bring it up, if he wants to tell us, then he will," Hermione huffed.

"**Yeah," said Hagrid sadly. "S' okay, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty."**

"**Well, that's lucky," said Ron. Hagrid missed the sarcasm.**

"He often misses sarcasm when it comes to his creatures," Remus smiled.

**Hagrid's cabin comprised a single room, in one corner of which was a gigantic bed covered in a patchwork quilt. A similarly enormous wooden table and chairs stood in front of the fire beneath the quantity of cured hams and dead birds hanging from the ceiling. They sat down at the table while Hagrid started to make tea, and were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed quite as excited about it as they were.**

"Well of course he is, it's not every day you get to see the tournament!" Sirius nearly shouted, man he wished there had been one when they went to school.

"**You wait," he said, grinning. "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task … ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."**

"**Go on, Hagrid!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning.**

"Aw man, now even Hagrid is keeping stuff from us because of this tournament," Ron sighed and then looked at Hermione, "do you think you could get him to tell us like you did in first year."

"I'm not sure, I think he's not telling us because he wants us to be surprised not because he doesn't think we should know," Hermione hesitatingly responded.

"What are you two talking about?" Molly asked him. "What did you get Hagrid to tell you in your first year?"

"Nothing," the two answered together, which gave away their lie but they didn't seem to want to explain further.

"**I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," said Hagrid. "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"**

"He saw a tournament before?" a few people gasped.

"He couldnt' have, they were discontinued in 1792," Remus answered, brows furrowed. "He must mean that he can't believe that the tournament is being restarted."

"Yeah, I can't believe that either," was the general agreement of those that knew of the tournament before they read about it in his book.

**They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn't eat much – Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers, she, Harry, and Ron rather lost their appetites.**

"I can't believe we ate any," Ron commented, making a face at what was just read. "We know Hagrid's cooking is questionable at best."

"That's still not as bad as his rock cakes that break your teeth!" Harry exclaimed.

"They break teeth!" Duncan gasped in alarm. "You don't eat those do you, Hermione?"

"Not if I can help it," she assured her dad.

**However, they enjoyed themselves trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet. A light rain had started to fall by midafternoon; it was very cozy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves – for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.**

Hermione made an audible gasp at that. She had thought Hagrid would be on her side.

"**It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. "It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insutin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."**

Hermione stared at the book with an open mouth, "how could Hagrid not understand that they were brainwashed to think that way and if they could only see that they would be happy?"

"Maybe he does see, honey," Juliet answered, "maybe you're the one that has to see that."

Hermione frowned looking at her mum confused, she had just said it - of course she knew that.

"**But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" said Hermione. "And we heard he's asking for wages now!"**

"**Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it – no, nothin' doin', Hermione."**

**Hermione looked very cross indeed and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.**

**By half past five it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast – and, more important, the announcement of the school champions.**

"**I'll come with yeh," said Hagrid, putting away his darning. "Jus' give us a sec."**

**Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. They didn't pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils. Coughing, Ron said, "Hagrid, what's that?"**

"Maybe Hagrid let one rip," George supplied with a grin.

"**Eh?" said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. "Don' yeh like it?"**

"**Is that aftershave?" said Hermione in a slightly choked voice.**

"Aftershave … Hagrid?" Harry questioned, as other sniggered.

"**Er - eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered. He was blushing.**

"Cologne … even better," Tonks laughed.

"**Maybe it's a bit much," he said gruffly. "I'll go take it off, hang on …"**

**He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.**

Draco rolled his eyes at that - he was such a barbarian.

"**Eau de cologne?" said Hermione in amazement. "Hagrid?"**

"**And what's with the hair and the suit?" said Harry in an undertone.**

"**Look!" said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. Hagrid had just straightened up and turned 'round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn't spot them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too. They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression Harry had only ever seen him wear once before – when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert.**

There was more laughter and otherwise merriment throughout that paragraph.

"Well that's it then, Hagrid's got a crush, the old dog," Sirius shook his head smiling.

"I'm glad to hear it," Molly cooed, "the poor man has been all alone for so long."

"Aw, he had his monster creatures to keep him happy," Sirius waved her concerns away, he never thought of Hagrid as being all that lonely.

"**He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"**

"Cut him some slack, Hermione, it's not every day he meets a girl like him," Ron commented.

**Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.**

"**He fancies her!" said Ron incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record – bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."**

"Don't you think that's moving a bit fast, Ron?" Ginny quirked an eyebrow, "they only just met. Oh but I bet the baby would be cute … huge, but cute."

"And I'm the one moving things along," Ron rolled his eyes.

**They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns.**

"**Ooh it's them, look!" Hermione whispered.**

**The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them. Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead of Hermione, Ron, and Harry and proceeded through them.**

**When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George – clean-shaven again**

"Aw, I was hoping we'd leave a mustache," Fred sighed.

– **seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.**

"**Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down.**

"**So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"**

**The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, Harry didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as he would have normally. Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, Harry simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.**

"Tsk tsk, Harry, there's no need to rush the food along," George tsked, "you need to learn some patience."

"Oh come on, you want to hear who the champions are going to be as much as I do," Harry replied.

"Nah, I already know them," George countered, "It's going to be Ron's girlfriend - Bill's right she's been mentioned too much to not be her - and Krum obviously. And Angelina."

"She's not my girlfriend," Ron grumbled.

"Do you want to bet on that?" Tonks asked. "I'd say the same for the other schools, we don't really know any other students so it's hard to guess, but my money is on Cedric being champion for Hogwarts."

"Not a chance," George's reply was quick, "you're on. How much?"

"How about the loser has to eat one of those candies Fred has stashed up his sleeve, I take it that it's one of your products?" Tonks responded.

"How did you …?" the twins gaped at her, they thought they had hidden the candy well, well enough to escape their mum's watchful eyes, but evidently not Tonks'.

"Do you really want me to explain my ways, or do you just want to agree?" Tonks questioned.

"Hm …" George mused, not sure which candies Fred had, he wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, but he wasn't going to back down. "You're on."

**At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.**

"The man can at least show some expression, it is a historical event after all," Sirius grumbled.

"**Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" – he indicated the door behind the staff table – "where they will be receiving their first instructions."**

**He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness.**

**The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting … A few people kept checking their watches …**

"**Any second," Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from Harry.**

"Seriously, any time now would be nice!" Sirius grumbled.

**The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.**

**Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.**

"**The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."**

"Yes!" Ron shouted smiling.

"Isn't it a bad thing he's the champion?" Neville wondered. "Isn't it going to make you want Krum to win?"

"No," Ron denied, "I still want the Hogwarts champion to win, unless by some mistake a Slytherin is picked. It'll be more fun to watch the tournament with Krum in it."

"Here here!" the twins exclaimed in agreement.

"**No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Harry saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.**

"**Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"**

"Makes you wonder if he even let the others put their names in or if he just made sure that Krum would be picked," Sirius observed shrewdly.

"Krum doesn't need any help to make him the best choice," Ron huffed.

"Fair enough," Sirius agreed easily, he wouldn't put it past Karkaroff to pass off something like what he said, but Ron was right that an international Quidditch player probably has a lot of skills needed to be a good champion.

**The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.**

"**The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"**

"**It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted**

"You know it sounds like Harry's more obsess with the girl than Ron is," Bill noted. "At least he's the one that's always bringing her up."

Teddy pressed his lips together, again amused that it was Bill bring up these observations.

"We're right about that one too," George grinned.

"Well she was the only Beauxbatons student mentioned constantly," Tonks observed. "It stood to reason it was her."

**as the girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.**

"**Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. "Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement, Harry thought. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.**

"That's a bit much isn't it?" Ginny sighed, she could understand being disappointed if not picked, but to cry about it … in public?

"Obviously they all believed that they had a chance," Sirius answered. "Unlike at Durmstrang where they already knew what was going to happen."

**When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next …**

"The only one that really matters," George stated.

"They all matter …" Percy started but Duncan started reading, as though he didn't know who the people were any more than he knew the other champions that were just picked, he was still interested in hearing this.

**And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.**

**"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"**

"NO!' several people moaned, most of which were those that knew Angelina.

"YES!" Tonks cheered for her fellow Hufflepuff. Then she turned to smirk at George and said, "pay up."

George sighed, held his hand out as Fred pulled out one of the candies he had up his sleeve and handed it to his twin. George looked at it and sighed, before he opened the wrapper and stuck the candy in his month. Nothing happened at first as everyone stared at George in anticipation and then there was a pop and George was replaced by a large canary.

"Ah, the Canary Cream," Fred explained chuckling as the others in the room laughed. George, the canary had gotten off his seat on the couch and was now flapping his wings and causing a general ruckus.

"That's brilliant!" Sirius shouted when he was able to speak again. "You made that, right?!"

"Yep," George answered, grinning as the feathers he had started molting and he was revealed again.

Once everyone was settled Duncan started reading again.

"**No!" said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him except Harry; the uproar from the next table was too great.**

"I still think it sucks it's not Angie," George sighed. "She would have made a great champion."

"I'm sure Cedric will make us proud," Tonks replied. "Just you wait and see."

Teddy expression darkened, though thankfully no one saw him. He didn't know much about Cedric Diggory, other than what was going to happen to him by the end of the tournament, but he had a feeling that his mum was right in a way. He was going to make them proud … just not in a way that anyone expects, much less like.

**Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.**

"**Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real —"**

**But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.**

Everyone at this point held their breath … a sudden sense of foreboding coming on all of them as Duncan continued reading in a steady voice.

**The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.**

"This can't be happening," the words were muttered from several different people at once …

**Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out - "Harry Potter."**

Harry bowed his head as he heard his name. Of course it was him. If anything unusually ever happened he was the one that was involved. Harry knew that everyone was looking at him, too shocked at the moment to say anything. He too was numb, hadn't he just come to the conclusion that he didn't want anything to do with being in the tournament, and now here he was, going to be champion … not only a champion … an extra champion.

"NO!" Sirius howled, the first to recover for the shock that was filling the room. "This can't be happening," he then repeated what he said earlier. "Harry can't be a champion."

"The magical contract," Duncan numbly replied; he hadn't been able to get that out of his mind since he read it, though he had pushed it aside. Now it seemed to blare in his thoughts, this fourteen year old boy was now in this tournament with no way of backing out of it.

"Argh," Sirius groaned and then deflated in his seat, Duncan was right that Harry had no choice but to compete in the tournament and he had known that.

"You poor dear," Molly whimpered as Arthur held her, "I thought they would be safe Arthur. No one was supposed to be able to be picked."

"They were," Arthur replied looking grim and still looking slightly in shock.

"How did you do it?" Percy asked Harry. "How did you cross Dumbledore's line?"

"What?" Harry asked, he was feeling numb, noticing only now that Hermione was squeezing his hand as if she was trying to comfort him. He looked at her and she let his hand go, and then he looked at Ron, who seemed lost in thought before turning back to Percy. "What?"

"How did you get cross the line," Percy repeated.

"Don't be a dolt Percy, he couldn't have done so," Ginny snapped at him.

"Then how did his name come out of the cup?" Percy demanded.

"I don't know, but if Harry had done it, it would have been in the book," Ginny pointed out.

"Yeah, she's right," Ron concurred, coming out of his thoughts. His ears were red out of embarrassment. The first thing he felt after hearing Harry's name coming out of the Goblet was, fear for his friends safety as he thought, _crap not again_. Then the strangest sense came over him as he thought of Harry going through the tournament doing dangerous things. Well Harry's done dangerous things for years now, so he should be safe, a voice had said in his head. Yeah, safe enough to have everyone cheer for him.

And that's when it happened, when his concern turn bitter in his stomach and thought of all the attention Harry was going to get being the champion, he heard about them all his life, even the champions that hadn't won are still talked about in the retelling of the tournaments. Then he heard Percy asking about how Harry had entered and for a moment Ron felt enraged at the very idea that Harry would have done that, thinking about how Harry seemed to have wanted to be the champion and win the tournament. Then Ginny spoke and he had to admit that she had a point, and he was being stupid … that thought didn't really make the bitterness go away however.

"Hmph," Percy huffed, not seeming to notice Ron's inner struggle. "I suppose."

"Suppose nothing, Harry didn't do it," Hermione exclaimed hotly. "And I know that not just because it wasn't shown in the book, but because though Harry can be extremely reckless at times, he's not about to risk his life in a tournament when he hasn't learned nearly enough."

"Thanks Hermione," Harry told her sarcastically, making her aware that her words weren't helping him.

"This isn't about just passing Dumbledore's line, if it was Harry would have been Hogwart's champion," Remus explained grimly, he looked almost as deflated as Sirius was. "I'm not sure what happened, but it would take serious magic to make Harry's name to come out as a fourth champion, magic beyond any student at Hogwarts could do."

"That was the end of the chapter," Duncan told the now silent and thoughtful room. He passed the book to his wife, as he saw signs that everyone wanted to hear what happened next.


	18. The Four Champions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Eighteen

The Four Champions

"**The Four Champions," **Juliet read grimly. Though she didn't know too much about the tournament, from the little she hear and judging by everyone else's' reaction, this was a terrible thing to happen.

**Harry sat there, aware that every head in the Great Hall had turned to look at him. He was stunned. He felt numb. He was surely dreaming. He had not heard correctly.**

Harry grimaced, that was how he was feeling now too, though in the book it was probably worse as he was sure he was getting all kinds of accusative glares for the others students.

**There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Harry as he sat, frozen, in his seat. Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione; beyond them, he saw the long Gryffindor table all watching him, openmouthed.**

"Hm … we probably believe you put your name in the goblet," Fred mused, his tone was serious and he didn't have his usually smile on his face. "We probably thought you came up with a clever trick to get pass the line."

"As if Potter is clever," Draco snorted, he was disgusted that Harry had been chosen as a champion, but he figured it might not be so bad if the task were dangerous. Potter will probably wet his pants in the first task. "He wouldn't be able to get himself out of a paper bag without Granger's help."

Ron grimace looking at Harry and Hermione, what Malfoy said was wrong, but would he think that Harry had done this on his own … or maybe even got Hermione to help him? And they wouldn't have thought to mention to him, as since Harry obviously hadn't done this, they couldn't come to him … Ron shook his head, he was starting to confuse himself.

"**I didn't put my name in," Harry said blankly. "You know I didn't."**

"Of course we know that," Hermione answered immediately, though Ron said nothing, he wasn't sure he could say the same thing.

**Both of them stared just as blankly back.**

**At the top table, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.**

"**Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"**

"**Go on," Hermione whispered, giving Harry a slight push.**

**Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly. He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.**

Harry sighed, never before did he think it would be a bad thing that the Hufflepuffs were the ones next to them, but right now he would rather it be the Slytherins.

**It felt like an immensely long walk; the top table didn't seem to be getting any nearer at all, and he could feel hundreds and hundreds of eyes upon him, as though each were a searchlight. The buzzing grew louder and louder. After what seemed like an hour, he was right in front of Dumbledore, feeling the stares of all the teachers upon him.**

"**Well … through the door, Harry," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling.**

"He better not be," Molly moaned, her head leaning on Arthur's shoulder and she was still in shock that this was all happening.

"This is definitely not something that Dumbledore wanted to happen," Remus stated, looking at Harry - it wasn't anything he wanted to happen either.

**Harry moved off along the teachers' table. Hagrid was seated right at the end. He did not wink at Harry, or wave, or give any of his usual signs of greeting. He looked completely astonished and stared at Harry as he passed like everyone else.**

Harry looked at the others in the room; they were staring at him still too, so he couldn't really blame Hagrid for looking at him like that. It was shocking news after all.

**Harry went through the door out of the Great Hall and found himself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite him. The faces in the portraits turned to look at him as he entered. He saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture and into the one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus mustache. The wizened witch started whispering in his ear.**

**Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the fire. They looked strangely impressive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched up and brooding, was leaning against the mantelpiece, slightly apart from the other two. Cedric was standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the fire. Fleur Delacour looked around when Harry walked in and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.**

"**What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"**

**She thought he had come to deliver a message. Harry didn't know how to explain what had just happened. He just stood there, looking at the three champions. It struck him how very tall all of them were.**

"Well they are at least three years older than you, of course they're tall to you," Tonks pointed out.

"Not to mention you're sort of on the short side," Fred added, a grin on his face.

**There was a sound of scurrying feet behind him, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry by the arm and led him forward.**

"**Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen … lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce – incredible though it may seem – the fourth Triwizard champion?"**

"How can he say extraordinary as if this is a good thing!?" Sirius shouted, conveniently forgetting that if it wasn't Harry he might have been feeling the same way as the ex-beater.

**Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry. Cedric looked nonplussed. He looked from Bagman to Harry and back again as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said.**

"Well can you blame the guy, he was just told there was another champion from Hogwarts that would be competing," Tonks commented defensively.

"I wasn't blaming him," Harry pointed out softly.

**Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."**

Now Harry frowned, he might not want to be champion any more than they want him to be, but that didn't meant he wanted them to think he was a joke.

"**Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"**

**Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Cedric was still looking politely bewildered. Fleur frowned.**

"**But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "E cannot compete. 'E is too young."**

"Oh did you hear that Harry, you're too young, I guess you'll have to wait until next time," George mocked, waving an arm about.

"I wish I could," Harry grumbled.

"**Well … it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Harry. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's come out of the goblet … I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage … It's down in the rules, you're obliged … Harry will just have to do the best he —"**

"Well they should change the rules so that if you don't effing enter the tournament you shouldn't have to be obliged to do anything!" Sirius grumbled, the longer he sat here the more anxious he seemed to be getting.

**The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Harry heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.**

"**Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!"**

Harry frowned at that.

**Somewhere under Harry's numb disbelief he felt a ripple of anger. Little boy?**

"He seems to be thinking the same thing now," George noted with smile.

**Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.**

"**What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.**

"**I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions – or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"**

**He gave a short and nasty laugh.**

"Bloody idiot," Sirius shook in his seat. Remus rested a hand on his shoulder but Sirius didn't seem to notice this at all.

"**C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was ****resting upon Fleur's shoulder. "Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."**

"Why do they keep talking about this like it's some great advantage?" Sirius complained.

"I know how you feel, but if you were in their place you'd be thinking the same thing," Arthur replied with a sigh, and was snarled at for his trouble. "I know this is hard but this is one of the most prestigious tournaments there is … of course they're going to be upset there's two Hogwarts champions."

Sirius continued to glare, he didn't care if he wasn't being fair to them, Harry was in the tournament and it was no longer a good thing that they had decided to bring this back.

"**We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."**

"As if it matters to him, he would still think Krum would be the champion," Tonks rolled her eyes.

"**It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here – "**

Sirius was growling again.

Remus sighed and shook his head, Severus Snape was only capable of seeing James when he looks at Harry.

"You know that's just about the nicest thing that Snape said about you … or I should say didn't say," Fred mused.

"What are you talking about?" Harry inquired.

"Well Snape just said you were skilled enough to get pass Dumbledore's age line," Fred answered. "I never thought he had that much confidence in your ability."

"**Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, and Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair.**

**Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry, who looked right back at him, trying to discern the expression of the eyes behind the half-moon spectacles.**

"That's not going to happen, Dumbledore is the hardest to read emotions from," Bill mumbled, he was pretty good at reading people.

"**Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.**

"He can't …" Sirius started to protest, but Remus talked over him.

"Just listen, Sirius, please." Remus interrupted tiredly, "he has to ask these questions."

"**No," said Harry. He was very aware of everybody watching him closely. Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows.**

"**Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring Snape.**

"Is that all you had to do to get across the line?" Draco snorted.

"I doubt it," Hermione countered, sure that Dumbledore would have accounted for that as well.

"**No," said Harry vehemently.**

"**Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime. Snape was now shaking his head, his lip curling.**

"**He could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that – "**

"**Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.**

There were several snorts of disagreement to that, even Draco rolled his eyes. He might not like Dumbledore at all, but he didn't doubt the old man's ability to make the line.

"**It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely.**

"**Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Harry could not have crossed the line himself, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!"**

"I love it when McGonagall sticks up for people," Fred sighed, "she gets so un-McGonagall like."

"Does that even make sense?" Bill questioned him and he shrugged.

**She shot a very angry look at Professor Snape.**

"**Mr. Crouch … Mr. Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more, "you are our – er – objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"**

"He obviously doesn't think they'll be objective," Tonks noted.

**Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice.**

"**We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."**

"What would have happened if Harry didn't compete?" Duncan asked softly.

"The same as if he entered himself," Teddy answered gravely.

"**Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.**

"**I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," said Karkaroff. He had dropped his unctuous tone and his smile now. His face wore a very ugly look indeed. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair, Dumbledore."**

"Is that even possible?" Neville asked, not even realizing he said that out loud until Percy answered him.

"No it's not; I read that once the fire goes out in the Goblet of Fire it will not start again until the next tournament."

"**But Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that," said Bagman. "The Goblet of Fire's just gone out – it won't reignite until the start of the next tournament –"**

"Merlin, Bagman is sounding like Perce, what's wrong with this," George gasped and Percy glared at him.

"–** in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff. "After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"**

"**Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from near the door. "You can't leave your champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?"**

"At least Moody is there, making the right connections," Sirius grumbled, the tension in him relaxed a little.

Teddy kept an impassive face as he thought, _you won't be thinking that when you find out who he really is._

**Moody had just entered the room. He limped toward the fire, and with every right step he took, there was a loud clunk.**

"**Convenient?" said Karkaroff. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody." Harry could tell he was trying to sound disdainful, as though what Moody was saying was barely worth his notice, but his hands gave him away; they had balled themselves into fists.**

Tonks narrowed her eyes at that, wondering if it was just the fact that Karkaroff was scared of Moody or if he had more reason to get upset at this line of questioning.

"**Don't you?" said Moody quietly. "It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put Potter's name in that goblet knowing he'd have to compete if it came out."**

"**Evidently, someone 'oo wished to give 'Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!" said Madame Maxime.**

"**I quite agree, Madame Maxime," said Karkaroff, bowing to her. "I shall be lodging complaints with the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards –"**

"**If anyone's got reason to complain, it's Potter," growled Moody, "but … funny thing … I don't hear him saying a word …"**

"That's true Harry, you should be talking more," Fred elbowed him. "How do you feel about this?"

"Shocked," Harry answered and then added almost reluctantly, "and queasy."

"Don't worry, mate, you'll be okay," George tried to comfort him.

"**Why should 'e complain?" burst out Fleur Delacour, stamping her foot. "E 'as ze chance to compete, 'asn't 'e? We 'ave all been 'oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! Ze honor for our schools! A thousand Galleons in prize money - zis is a chance many would die for!"**

Several people stiffened as Juliet read this, and everyone looked at Harry, who was looking at the floor in front of him. He really wished he didn't have to be hear listening to this.

"**Maybe someone's hoping Potter is going to die for it," said Moody, with the merest trace of a growl.**

Molly whimpered and Arthur squeezed her closer to him as Sirius closed his eyes painfully. They weren't the only ones to react to the first mention in the book what they were already thinking, everyone seemed to get tense again just like when Harry's name was first being announced.

**An extremely tense silence followed these words. Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed, bounced nervously up and down on his feet and said, "Moody, old man … what a thing to say!"**

"**We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plots to murder him before lunchtime," said Karkaroff loudly. "Apparently he is now teaching his students to fear assassination too. An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore, but no doubt you had your reasons.**

"Yeah and keeping an eye on a slimy git like you, is one," Sirius muttered.

"As if Moody had to teach Harry something like that," George countered waving his hand, "Harry's feared assassination attempts since first year."

"George," Molly exclaimed looking pale.

"Did you seriously think that was going to cheer anyone up," Ginny finished where her mum seemed unable to finish.

"Not really," George admitted with a shrug.

Hermione looked at Harry sadly, perhaps only she and Ron knew how many times that Harry had nearly been killed and what George said was all too true for her taste.

"**Imagining things, am I?" growled Moody. "Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put the boy's name in that goblet …"**

"**Ah, what evidence is zere of zat?" said Madame Maxime, throwing up her huge hands.**

"**Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object!" said Moody. "It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the tournament … I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under a fourth school, to make sure he was the only one in his category …"**

"That's an interesting theory," Tonks observed, she hadn't thought of that, but it does make sense. "That would be a good way to make sure Harry's name would be called, even more sure than putting his name in the Goblet as the Hogwarts participant as the goblet might not have chosen him … but as a student of another school …"

"How did he come up with that so quickly?" Duncan wanted to know frowning, and a few looked at him with a thoughtful expression.

"He's been train for years to think like the enemy," Tonks replied. "To try to think about what they might do before they do it, or like in this case, try to figure out how they accomplish their task so that he won't let something like this happen again."

"Can the Goblet even be Confounded like that?" Hermione asked, looking at Remus.

"Well, clearly something happened," he mused thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"I actually read a bit about the Goblet of Fire," Teddy explained. "Some of what I read was written in five years from now, so no one else here would have heard about it. Research was done to figure out how something like this could happen."

"Well get to the point already," Sirius huffed impatiently.

"Sorry," Teddy blushed. "The creators of the Triwizard Tournament felt that there was a chance that another great school in Europe, or even in another part of the world, might be built, so they made the Goblet capable of adding a school to participate in the tournament."

"So did he even have to Confound the Goblet?" Hermione asked him.

"I would imagine something was done, because the three current headmasters, or headmistress, would have to be present before they added any school, which obviously didn't happen," Teddy responded.

"You know what happened!" Sirius stated, it wasn't a question and he was glaring at the boy. "You know who put Harry's name in the Goblet."

Teddy just stared at him, not saying a word.

"Why won't you tell us?" Sirius demanded.

"Because it will not make you, or anyone else here, feel better to know," Teddy answered.

"But we'll know!"

"Sirius he's already told us enough," Remus said, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder again.

"He hasn't told us anything!"

"He is giving us this book so we will know the future," Remus replied calmly. "And we will learn who is doing this …"

"But he can tell us now!"

"Yes, but will that give us all the answer we want?" Remus asked. "Will that tell us why he did so? Or will we just get more questions. One's that Teddy might not be able to answer. Reading the book must be important or he would have just told us the important things that happened."

Sirius crossed his arms, and glared at the floor in front of him. He just wanted the bloody name of the guy that was threatening Harry, what was so wrong with that? And why the bloody hell did Remus had to be on the stupid time traveler's side?

Juliet wasn't sure what to do, not sure if the conversation was over or not, but when Remus looked at her she decided to keep reading.

"**You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody," said Karkaroff coldly, "and a very ingenious theory it is – though of course, I heard you recently got it into your head that one of your birthday presents contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg, and smashed it to pieces before realizing it was a carriage clock. So you'll understand if we don't take you entirely seriously …"**

"Don't ask me, I don't know about this one," Tonks stated when she noticed people look at her.

"**There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," Moody retorted in a menacing voice. "It's my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Karkaroff – as you ought to remember …"**

"**Alastor!" said Dumbledore warningly. Harry wondered for a moment whom he was speaking to, but then realized "Mad-Eye" could hardly be Moody's real first name.**

The twins snorted at that but didn't make a comment.

**Moody fell silent, though still surveying Karkaroff with satisfaction – Karkaroff's face was burning.**

"**How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore, speaking to everyone gathered in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Cedric and Harry have been chosen to compete in the Tournament. This, therefore, they will do …"**

"**Ah, but Dumbly-dorr -"**

"**My dear Madame Maxime, if you have an alternative, I would be delighted to hear it."**

Let Potter suffer the consequence of backing out of being a champion, Draco thought, but didn't say. After see how angry Sirius was at Teddy, he wasn't about to make a comment like that.

**Dumbledore waited, but Madame Maxime did not speak, she merely glared. She wasn't the only one either. Snape looked furious; Karkaroff livid; Bagman, however, looked rather excited.**

"**Well, shall we crack on, then?" he said, rubbing his hands together and smiling around the room. "Got to give our champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?"**

**Mr. Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.**

Percy frowned; he wondered what was wrong with his boss. He would have thought Crouch would have been more vocal than he was as of yet. No he was being silly, Crouch was probably just trying to figure out what had happened, how Harry had been picked as the fourth champion and that was why he was so quiet.

"**Yes," he said, "instructions. Yes … the first task …"**

**He moved forward into the firelight. Close up, Harry thought he looked ill. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes and a thin, papery look about his wrinkled skin that had not been there at the Quidditch World Cup.**

Now Percy looked concern, hoping Crouch wasn't sick.

"**The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard … very important.**

No one seemed to like this description of the task, as they could only imagine how bad the unknown is going to be.

Sirius shot a look at Teddy with narrow yes, _the boy must know what it is that Harry's going to face, but he's going to keep his mouth shut about this too._

That was when Teddy looked at him seeming to have realized what he was thinking. He didn't say anything he just looked sad and apologetic. That didn't make Sirius feel any better.

"**The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges.**

"**The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."**

"But what about N.E.W.T's!" Percy gasped. "Krum at least is in seventh year, and Fleur probably is as well. They can't just not take their exams!"

"Perhaps they will take them at the Ministry … or maybe their Ministry … later on," Bill replied. "There are make-up exams, as well as retaking a test that is failed, offered. Perhaps they will study over the summer and take the exams then."

**Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore.**

"**I think that's all, is it, Albus?"**

"**I think so," said Dumbledore, who was looking at Mr. Crouch with mild concern. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"**

"**No, Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry," said Mr. Crouch. "It is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment … I've left young Weatherby in charge …**

Percy couldn't help but flush at being called Weatherby, but also looked pleased that he was in charge. So all in all, a very odd expression was on his face.

**Very enthusiastic … a little overenthusiastic, if truth be told …"**

"**You'll come and have a drink before you go, at least?" said Dumbledore.**

"**Come on, Barty, I'm staying!" said Bagman brightly. "It's all happening at Hogwarts now, you know, much more exciting here than at the office!"**

"**I think not, Ludo," said Crouch with a touch of his old impatience.**

"Yep, that's certainly one way to make him refuse to do something … have Bagman say he'll be there," Fred smiled.

"**Professor Karkaroff – Madame Maxime – a nightcap?" said Dumbledore.**

"Yeah, I'm sure they really want to have a nightcap with you after what just happened," Ginny mumbled.

**But Madame Maxime had already put her arm around Fleur's shoulders and was leading her swiftly out of the room. Harry could hear them both talking very fast in French as they went off into the Great Hall. Karkaroff beckoned to Krum, and they, too, exited, though in silence.**

"**Harry, Cedric, I suggest you go up to bed," said Dumbledore, smiling at both of them. "I am sure Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise."**

Harry sighed, now that Dumbledore mentioned it, there probably would be some kind of celebration going on in the Gryffindor common room. It wasn't like he didn't like parties; he just didn't like them when it was for something he didn't deserve and was right now dreading.

**Harry glanced at Cedric, who nodded, and they left together.**

**The Great Hall was deserted now; the candles had burned low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality.**

"**So," said Cedric, with a slight smile. "We're playing against each other again!"**

"Not exactly in the way I wanted to," Harry grumbled, in Quidditch he at least had a chance (a very good chance) in winning. He didn't think it will be that easy in the tournament.

"**I s'pose," said Harry. He really couldn't think of anything to say. The inside of his head seemed to be in complete disarray, as though his brain had been ransacked.**

"What brain?" Draco commented and got a few glares for his trouble.

"**So … tell me …" said Cedric as they reached the entrance hall, which was now lit only by torches in the absence of the Goblet of Fire. "How did you get your name in?"**

"**I didn't," said Harry, staring up at him. "I didn't put it in. I was telling the truth."**

"**Ah … okay," said Cedric. Harry could tell Cedric didn't believe him. "Well … see you, then."**

Sirius growled again and others glared at the book, the twins among them, though even earlier in this chapter they admitted they probably weren't likely the believe him without hearing his thoughts in the book.

**Instead of going up the marble staircase, Cedric headed for a door to its right. Harry stood listening to him going down the stone steps beyond it, then, slowly, he started to climb the marble ones.**

**Was anyone except Ron and Hermione going to believe him, or would they all think he'd put himself in for the tournament?**

"I'll believe you, if you told me you didn't do it," Ginny commented, her face was red but she was sticking with her new resolve to talk to Harry. When he gave her a small smile she couldn't meet his eyes anymore, but she felt she did a pretty good job.

"I will too," Neville stated; Harry was usually pretty honest about things like this. Not to mention, after what happened in first year when Hermione petrified him so they could save the Philosopher's Stone, he figured it was better to believe Harry instead of trying to stop him.

No one noticed Ron's shoulders lower as he thought, _believe him, believe him_, over and over in his head, as if hoping by thinking it enough will make it so.

**Yet how could anyone think that, when he was facing competitors who'd had three years' more magical education than he had – when he was now facing tasks that not only sounded very dangerous, but which were to be performed in front of hundreds of people? Yes, he'd thought about it … he'd fantasized about it … but it had been a joke, really, an idle sort of dream … he'd never really, seriously considered entering …**

_Just like your dreams of entering the tournament would be, _Ron thought, _so don't think Harry would have entered the tournament by himself without telling you. _

**But someone else had considered it … someone else had wanted him in the tournament, and had made sure he was entered. Why? To give him a treat? He didn't think so, somehow … To see him make a fool of himself? Well, they were likely to get their wish …**

Draco laughed at that, though he did try to stifle it, it still got him several murderous looks.

**But to get him killed? Was Moody just being his usual paranoid self? Couldn't someone have put Harry's name in the goblet as a trick, a practical joke?**

"That's not really a good joke, mate," George stated in a serious tone. "That's more like something you're enemy would do."

"If you enemy wasn't this git," Fred added, narrowing his eyes at Draco, "I'd say you might have to worry about him, but he couldn't have charmed the Goblet like that."

**Did anyone really want him dead?**

Yes, everyone in the room thought and some people said out loud.

**Harry was able to answer that at once. Yes, someone wanted him dead, someone had wanted him dead ever since he had been a year old … Lord Voldemort.**

All the wizard and witches shuddered as Juliet read the name, though Sirius, Remus and Tonks didn't do so for the fear of the name, more out of the fear of Voldemort being after Harry, both now and when he was one. The only other exception, of course, being Harry – he just frowned instead.

**But how could Voldemort have ensured that Harry's name got into the Goblet of Fire? Voldemort was supposed to be far away, in some distant country, in hiding, alone … feeble and powerless …**

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but Juliet thought she might know what he was about to say and quickly read on. Judging by the fact that Sirius didn't interrupt her, she was right that he was about to point out what the book was about to go into.

**Yet in that dream he had had, just before he had awoken with his scar hurting, Voldemort had not been alone … he had been talking to Wormtail … plotting Harry's murder. Harry got a shock to find himself facing the Fat Lady already.**

"He also mentioned getting a faithful follower back," Remus noted, thinking Harry's thought on the dream were probably over now, if he was thinking about the Fat Lady. Unlike the Harry in the book, the people in the room remembered the details of that conversation a lot better.

"We still don't know who that is though," Arthur pointed out, "and the information we have so far isn't helping us figure it out."

"You're right," Remus sighed.

**He had barely noticed where his feet were carrying him. It was also a surprise to see that she was not alone in her frame. The wizened witch who had flitted into her neighbor's painting when he had joined the champions downstairs was now sitting smugly beside the Fat Lady. She must have dashed through every picture lining seven staircases to reach here before him. Both she and the Fat Lady were looking down at him with the keenest interest.**

"**Well, well, well," said the Fat Lady, "Violet's just told me everything. Who's just been chosen as school champion, then?"**

"**Balderdash," said Harry dully.**

"No Harry, it's true, you have been chosen!" Fred and George echoed.

"**It most certainly isn't!" said the pale witch indignantly.**

"**No, no, Vi, it's the password," said the Fat Lady soothingly, and she swung forward on her hinges to let Harry into the common room.**

"Well don't go telling strange portraits our passwords!" Fred huffed in mock indignation.

**The blast of noise that met Harry's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked him backward. Next thing he knew, he was being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and was facing the whole of Gryffindor House, all of whom were screaming, applauding, and whistling.**

"**You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Fred; he looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed.**

Fred sighed, "at last, it is true, we don't believe you."

"Sorry mate," George added.

"It's okay," Harry shrugged; he hadn't really expected the twins to believe him, especially since he hasn't even had a chance to tell them that he hasn't done it. After all, every time they asked him about he had seemed interested, though not enough so that he was willing to help figure a way around Dumbledore's protection.

"**How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared George.**

"**I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how –"**

**But Angelina had now swooped down upon him; "Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor –"**

"Actually it was, the champion is a Hufflepuff!" Tonks exclaimed with a grimace, okay so it wasn't what was important, but she still didn't have to like that they brushed off poor Cedric who was the actual Hogwarts champion.

"**You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" shrieked Katie Bell, another of the Gryffindor Chasers.**

"**We've got food, Harry, come and have some – "**

"**I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast – "**

**But nobody wanted to hear that he wasn't hungry; nobody wanted to hear that he hadn't put his name in the goblet; not one single person seemed to have noticed that he wasn't at all in the mood to celebrate …**

"Damn people!" Fred yelled.

"I bet you were the worst of the lot of us," George accused him.

"That sounds like me," he just grinned.

**Lee Jordan had unearthed a Gryffindor banner from somewhere, and he insisted on draping it around Harry like a cloak. Harry couldn't get away; whenever he tried to sidle over to the staircase up to the dormitories, the crowd around him closed ranks, forcing another butterbeer on him, stuffing crisps and peanuts into his hands …**

"Yeah, because nothing says you're a champion like crisps and peanuts in your hands," Fred sniggered.

**Everyone wanted to know how he had done it, how he had tricked Dumbledore's Age Line and managed to get his name into the goblet …**

"**I didn't," he said, over and over again, "I don't know how it happened."**

**But for all the notice anyone took, he might just as well not have answered at all.**

"Seriously Harry, just let us enjoy the moment," George murmured to him. "We do like parties."

"I don't," Harry groaned, "at least not ones like this."

"**I'm tired!" he bellowed finally, after nearly half an hour. "No, seriously, George – I'm going to bed – "**

**He wanted more than anything to find Ron and Hermione, to find a bit of sanity, but neither of them seemed to be in the common room. Insisting that he needed to sleep, and almost flattening the little Creevey brothers as they attempted to waylay him at the foot of the stairs, Harry managed to shake everyone off and climb up to the dormitory as fast as he could.**

**To his great relief, he found Ron was lying on his bed in the otherwise empty dormitory, still fully dressed. He looked up when Harry slammed the door behind him.**

Ron stiffened in his seat … _he's the moment of truth._

"**Where've you been?" Harry said.**

"**Oh hello," said Ron.**

**He was grinning, but it was a very odd, strained sort of grin.**

Harry turned to look at Ron and noticed how tense his friend was. He couldn't bring himself to ask what was bothering him.

**Harry suddenly became aware that he was still wearing the scarlet Gryffindor banner that Lee had tied around him. He hastened to take it off, but it was knotted very tightly. Ron lay on the bed without moving, watching Harry struggle to remove it.**

"**So," he said, when Harry had finally removed the banner and thrown it into a corner. "Congratulations."**

Ron lean forward and pitched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes, not wanting to see any of the expressions of the others in the room. He didn't want to see Sirius glaring at him (he couldn't stop himself form hearing the man growl something like 'you don't believe Harry!'). He didn't want to see Remus scowl in the disappointed but not surprise sort of way he had. He couldn't look at his family, even the twins who had known that they wouldn't believe Harry in the book, as they would all be disgusted with him. He couldn't look at Hermione, because she would sigh and say something like she thought something like this would happen, trying to be understanding but really she'd be disappointed. And he definitely couldn't look at Harry. Harry who had done nothing wrong and would now have to suffer for his lack of confidence and self-worth.

Ron wasn't really aware of much, but someone must have told Hermione's mum to continue reading her voice seemed to pierce his brain as he listened to what he would have said to Harry.

"**What d'you mean, congratulations?" said Harry, staring at Ron. There was definitely something wrong with the way Ron was smiling: It was more like a grimace.**

"**Well … no one else got across the Age Line," said Ron. "Not even Fred and George. What did you use – the Invisibility Cloak?"**

"**The Invisibility Cloak wouldn't have got me over that line," said Harry slowly.**

Hermione groaned, the Harry in the book didn't seem to be grasping what Ron was saying, and that was making things worst. She hated hearing what was going on, and she hadn't wanted to believe that Ron would think Harry entered the tournament, but that's what happened.

"**Oh right," said Ron. "I thought you might've told me if it was the cloak … because it would've covered both of us, wouldn't it? But you found another way, did you?"**

"He …" Sirius started to say, and Ron flinched, the things he was saying to Harry were bad, but knowing that everyone was listening and only thinking worst of him.

"Don't Sirius," Remus interrupted and Sirius turned to glare at him. "Look at him," he went on to say in a whisper that only Sirius could hear.

Sirius took a good look at Harry's best friend. The boy was making himself look as small as he possible could, which didn't work at all because he was so tall. He was still holding his nose and his expression looked pained.

Sirius had ignored Remus when he had tried to defend the other champions and their headmaster/headmistress, he could stay as angry as he wanted at them. But looking at the boy made him come to his senses a little. He could relate in a way with Ron, if James had been picked as a champion and hadn't told Sirius he had entered the tournament, he would have been jealous. So jealous that he probably would have punched James in the face, not even giving him a chance to explain.

"Just let them deal with it," Remus whispered, Juliet had continued reading as Sirius thought about it, and he had to nod his head.

"**Listen," said Harry, "I didn't put my name in that goblet. Someone else must've done it."**

**Ron raised his eyebrows.**

"**What would they do that for?"**

"**I dunno," said Harry. He felt it would sound very melodramatic to say, "To kill me."**

Ron grimaced, a little angry that Harry hadn't said that, melodramatic or not, it might have snapped him out of his pity party.

**Ron's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of disappearing into his hair.**

"**It's okay, you know, you can tell me the truth," he said. "If you don't want everyone else to know, fine, but I don't know why you're bothering to lie, you didn't get into trouble for it, did you? That friend of the Fat Lady's, that Violet, she's already told us all Dumbledore's letting you enter. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end-of-year tests either…"**

"**I didn't put my name in that goblet!" said Harry, starting to feel angry.**

"**Yeah, okay," said Ron, in exactly the same sceptical tone as Cedric. "Only you said this morning you'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen you… I'm not stupid, you know."**

"You're doing a good impression of it," Ginny stated, glaring at her brother; she couldn't understand how Ron of all people would believe Harry would do this. Even more that he would do it without telling Ron about it.

"**You're doing a really good impression of it," Harry snapped.**

And now she was blushing for saying the same thing as Harry. She noticed that the twins weren't laughing, and that they hadn't said anything since this whole Ron/Harry thing started. That wasn't like them.

"**Yeah?" said Ron, and there was no trace of a grin, forced or otherwise, on his face now. "You want to get to bed, Harry. I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photo-call or something."**

**He wrenched the hangings shut around his four-poster, leaving Harry standing there by the door, staring at the dark red velvet curtains, now hiding one of the few people he had been sure would believe him.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Juliet announced to the quiet room, putting the book down.

"Why don't we get some snacks for the kitchen," Arthur suggested, he had been staring at his youngest son for a while and he knew that he was feeling terrible. He also knew that nothing was going to happen with the lot of them in the room making him feel worst. It took a while but soon the only people left in the room was Ron, Harry and standing near the door but looking at them nervously, Hermione.

"You don't believe me," Harry accused when everyone left, it didn't matter much to him if Hermione was still in the room or not but the others had made it hard for him to talk to Ron about this.

"I'm sorry Harry," Ron groaned and looked up. "You've got to understand I've been hearing about the Triwizard Tournament all my life. It's always been a source of entertainment, talking about the winners … everyone knows who they are."

"How could you believe that I would enter the tournament without telling you about it," Harry asked after a long pause as he thought of Ron's last reply. He hadn't even heard about the tournament before today, but if Ron said was true, then he could sort of see where Ron was coming from.

Ron shrugged; he couldn't really explain that, as he never thought of it before. "I don't know Harry, but if I believe you wanted to be in the tournament, though obviously you would have had to enter without telling me."

"Clearly," Harry answered drily.

"I'm sorry," Ron repeated, he hated that word, hated saying it, but right now he didn't see what else he could say to make things better.

"Yeah, me too," Harry responded.

Ron looked at his friend; he could tell that this talk didn't fix things between them. Harry was still upset about his reaction, not that Ron blamed him. Ron couldn't say any more than he did other than he's a stupid git, which he was sure that Harry already knew.

"Ron …" Hermione called out, causing the boys to look up, she could tell they weren't back to normal either.

Ron hardly looked at her before he got up and walked to the kitchen door, "I better get something to eat."

Hermione stared after him, wishing she could say something to make him feel better but she couldn't really think of anything. She looked at Harry, who was deep in thought and felt useless, as she didn't seem to be capable of helping either one of them.


	19. The Weighing of the Wands

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Nineteen

The Weighing of the Wands

It wasn't long after Ron entered the kitchen that everyone came back out. Molly had indeed prepared something for everyone to eat though Ron never felt less hungry than he did at that moment. He did note that the looks he had expected weren't quite as bad as he thought. The twins telling him something like they couldn't really be angry with him for doing the same thing. Even Sirius wasn't glaring at him as much as he had been expecting.

"I suppose it's time for me to read," Draco said, he by no means wanted to read this stupid book, but if he had to, the thought of Potty fighting with the Weasel was the best he could hope for. There seem to be a collective groan by the rest of the room at that, which Draco smirked at as he picked up the book and read, **"The Weighing of the Wands."**

**When Harry woke up on Sunday morning, it took him a moment to remember why he felt so miserable and worried. Then the memory of the previous night rolled over him. He sat up and ripped back the curtains of his own four-poster, intending to talk to Ron, to force Ron to believe him – only to find that Ron's bed was empty; he had obviously gone down to breakfast.**

Ron sighed for his seat next to Harry. It had been weird of a moment when he had walked back in the room and wasn't sure if he should take the same seat or not, but got the impression that Harry wanted him to sit there. Harry gave him a half smile so he knew that he did the right thing. Ron just wish that the Harry in the book could take to him, maybe talk some sense into him before that Ron got too stubborn to listen to sense … somehow though, Ron knew it was already too late.

**Harry dressed and went down the spiral staircase into the common room. The moment he appeared, the people who had already finished breakfast broke into applause again. The prospect of going down into the Great Hall and facing the rest of the Gryffindors, all treating him like some sort of hero, was not inviting;**

"Not to mention the fact that the Hufflepuff will probably treat you like some sort of evil villain," Fred added. "Don't forget that part."

**it was that, however, or stay here and allow himself to be cornered by the Creevey brothers, who were both beckoning frantically to him to join them. He walked resolutely over to the portrait hole, pushed it open, climbed out of it, and found himself face-to-face with Hermione.**

For a split second Harry worried that she wouldn't believe him either, but he brushed that aside. It wasn't likely after how she reacted before.

"**Hello," she said, holding up a stack of toast, which she was carrying in a napkin. "I brought you this … Want to go for a walk?"**

"**Good idea," said Harry gratefully.**

**They went downstairs, crossed the entrance hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn toward the lake, where the Durmstrang ship was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning, and they kept moving, munching their toast, as Harry told Hermione exactly what had happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before.**

Ron couldn't help making a face, despite the fact that it was his own fault, he didn't like thinking about Harry and Hermione talking about this things without him there … they always were together when they talked about things like this.

**To his immense relief, Hermione accepted his story without question.**

"**Well, of course I knew you hadn't entered yourself," she said when he'd finished telling her about the scene in the chamber off the Hall. "The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name!**

How did I miss that than? Ron wondered in his thoughts, but he imagine that he might not have given Harry a close look as his thoughts turned more bitter.

**But the question is, who did put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry … I don't think any student could have done it … they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's – "**

"**Have you seen Ron?" Harry interrupted.**

**Hermione hesitated.**

"So that's a yes," Ginny snorted, "I hope you kicked some sense into him."

"**Erm … yes … he was at breakfast," she said.**

"**Does he still think I entered myself?"**

"**Well … no, I don't think so … not really," said Hermione awkwardly.**

"**What's that supposed to mean, 'not really'?"**

"Exactly what I was thinking," Harry and Ron voiced at the same time.

"**Oh Harry, isn't it obvious?" Hermione said despairingly. "He's jealous!"**

"**Jealous?" Harry said incredulously. "Jealous of what? He wants to make a prat of himself in front of the whole school, does he?"**

"Are you serious?!" Fred exclaimed looking at Harry incredulously. "We all want to make a prat of ourselves in front of the whole school. It's a tournament, no one is going to think badly of you if you suck, you'd still be doing the task. You'd still be one of four people doing it, and everyone would be impressed by that."

"It sounds like Fred might be the one that's jealous," Neville noted.

"You never know," Fred shrugged.

"**Look," said Hermione patiently, "it's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she added quickly, seeing Harry open his mouth furiously.**

"**I hate it," Harry did open his mouth and snap out.**

"I know that," Hermione sighed. "But it doesn't mean it's not true."

**"I know you don't ask for it … but – well – you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous – he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many …"**

Ron turned a deep shade of red and he could feel that everyone was looking at him again. Why the bloody hell did Hermione have to go and say that? What bloody right did she have to tell people his effing feelings!

"**Great," said Harry bitterly. "Really great. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he's welcome to it … People gawping at my forehead everywhere I go …"**

"**I'm not telling him anything," Hermione said shortly. "Tell him yourself. It's the only way to sort this out."**

"**I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" Harry said,**

"You know you can be very selfish sometimes Harry," Hermione informed Harry and he turned to gape at her.

"Me?" he nearly shouted incredulously, "I'm not the one that started this."

"Ron's been a really good friend to you," she went on to say, she could see Ron turning to face her over Harry's other shoulder, he still looked angry over her last comment in the book where she described his insecurities. She knew that had embarrassed him but hopefully this will help. "He's always been there when you needed him …"

"What about now …" Harry started to say, not really sure why he was arguing, he already sort of forgiven Ron about this already.

"Please, this isn't even as bad as the time we went to that midnight duel and we ended up meeting fluffy," Hermione interrupted.

"Hermione do you …" Harry tried to say to get her to stop mentioning the crazy things they did at Hogwarts, even without details he could only imagine what Ron and Hermione's parents were thinking.

"Besides he was there when you wanted to go through the traps doors in first year, and when you two went into the forest in second year to follow spiders and you know he hates them," she went on not listening to Harry. "He stood on his broken leg when we were fighting Sirius … I know he wasn't going to hurt us for real, but we didn't know that at the time …"

"Okay, I get it," Harry exclaimed, figuring that would make her stop … and he did get her point. Ron had always been there for him. And though he wish Ron didn't react this way to him becoming a champion, things weren't too critical point yet … after all his life wasn't in danger yet. "But it is his problem …"

"Thanks mate," Ron grumbled from behind him, after Hermione's speech he couldn't help but feel slightly better.

"Sorry," Harry turned to look at him. He too was feeling better.

"Don't mention it," Ron mumbled to him, and gave Hermione a look that said she had said enough.

"Bloody sappy gits," Draco grumbled, he was hoping to hear the two friends fight, not make up.

"Whats this about Fluffy, and trap doors and spiders?" Duncan asked his daughter.

"Um …" she said, not really wanted to go into details about that. Unfortunately for her Draco had the book and he didn't seem like he wanted to read as she tried to think of something. "Fluffy's a dog …"

Harry and Ron snorted at that and Neville whimpered.

Duncan raised an eyebrow at his daughter, though she didn't see this as she glared at the three boys. "Hermione," he said in the 'I want you to give me the truth' tone.

"Fine. Fluffy is a giant three headed dog that nearly killed us," Hermione sighed, "and I wasn't there with the spiders so I don't know what happened but they're Acromantula …"

"They're as big as horses," Fred supplied looking at Ron who couldn't help but shudder.

"And the thing with Sirius was just a misunderstanding," Hermione finished.

"It seems there is a lot about Hogwarts and you're time there that you haven't told us," Duncan drew his words out slowly after she had finished. Hermione bowed her head, and he knew he was right. So far in the reading this book he had already guessed as much, but nothing too bad had happened at the school until the Goblet incident. "We'll talk about this later."

**so loudly that several owls in a nearby tree took flight in alarm. "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or –"**

"Don't say that," Hermione, Sirius and Molly exclaimed, and a few more people nodded their heads in agreement.

"**That's not funny," said Hermione quietly. "That's not funny at all." She looked extremely anxious. "Harry, I've been thinking – you know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?"**

"**Yeah, give Ron a good kick up the –"**

"Arse," the twins finished for him and laughed even as their mum glared at them.

"**Write to Sirius. You've got to tell him what's happened. He asked you to keep him posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts … It's almost as if he expected something like this to happen. I brought some parchment and a quill out with me – "**

"I doubt I expected this," Sirius commented, his numbness in the last chapter was proof of that.

"**Come off it," said Harry, looking around to check that they couldn't be overheard, but the grounds were quite deserted. "He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He'll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone's entered me in the Triwizard Tournament –"**

"You can't keep something like this from me," Sirius mumbled dejectedly, feeling hurt that Harry would even think of trying to do something like that.

"And Sirius isn't so rash that he would actually do something like that," Remus added. "He'd want to help you, which means he can't risk being caught."

"**He'd want you to tell him," said Hermione sternly. "He's going to find out anyway."**

"**How?"**

"**Harry, this isn't going to be kept quiet," said Hermione, very seriously. "This tournament's famous, and you're famous. I'll be really surprised if there isn't anything in the Daily Prophet about you competing …**

Both Harry and Ron groaned, Harry for obvious reason and Ron because he knew that was going to do nothing to help his book-self realize the truth … it will only make him angrier.

**You're already in half the books about You-Know-Who, you know … and Sirius would rather hear it from you, I know he would."**

"**Okay, okay, I'll write to him," said Harry, throwing his last piece of toast into the lake. They both stood and watched it floating there for a moment, before a large tentacle rose out of the water and scooped it beneath the surface. Then they returned to the castle.**

"**Whose owl am I going to use?" Harry said as they climbed the stairs. "He told me not to use Hedwig again."**

"**Ask Ron if you can borrow –"**

"Yeah, I'm sure that will go well," Fred stated sarcastically. "Hey Ron, I know we're not talking and you think I'm a glory seeking prat and all, but can I burrow your owl?"

"**I'm not asking Ron for anything," Harry said flatly.**

"**Well, borrow one of the school owls, then, anyone can use them," said Hermione.**

**They went up to the Owlery. Hermione gave Harry a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink, then strolled around the long lines of perches, looking at all the different owls, while Harry sat down against a wall and wrote his letter.**

_**Dear Sirius,**_

_**You told me to keep you posted on what**_**'**_**s happening at Hogwarts, so here goes – I don**_**'**_**t know if you**_**'**_**ve heard, but the Triwizard Tournament**_**'**_**s happening this year and on Saturday night I got picked as a fourth champion. I don**_**'**_**t who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn**_**'**_**t. The other Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff**_

**He paused at this point, thinking. He had an urge to say something about the large weight of anxiety that seemed to have settled inside his chest since last night, but he couldn't think how to translate this into words, so he simply dipped his quill back into the ink bottle and wrote,**

Sirius sighed, "I wish you could have thought of them. Maybe just writing them down would have helped you."

Harry shrugged, not really sure what to say to that.

_**Hope you**_**'**_**re okay, and Buckbeak –**_

_**Harry**_

"**Finished," he told Hermione, getting to his feet and brushing straw off his robes. At this, Hedwig fluttered down onto his shoulder and held out her leg.**

"Uh-oh," Ginny's eyes went wide, thinking that Hedwig wasn't going to like what was about to happen.

"**I can't use you," Harry told her, looking around for the school owls. "I've got to use one of these."**

**Hedwig gave a very loud hoot and took off so suddenly that her talons cut into his shoulder.**

Harry winced in sympathy of his future pain.

**She kept her back to Harry all the time he was tying his letter to the leg of a large barn owl. When the barn owl had flown off, Harry reached out to stroke Hedwig, but she clicked her beak furiously and soared up into the rafters out of reach.**

"Obviously she's angry with you, mate," George observed, before smiling.

"**First Ron, then you," Harry said angrily. "This isn't my fault."**

"So you're saying your owl ignoring you is as bad as what I did?" Ron questioned his friend.

"No, but I don't like it when Hedwig is upset with me," Harry answered honestly.

**If Harry had thought that matters would improve once everyone got used to the idea of him being champion, the following day showed him how mistaken he was. He could no longer avoid the rest of the school once he was back at lessons – and it was clear that the rest of the school, just like the Gryffindors, thought Harry had entered himself for the tournament. Unlike the Gryffindors, however, they did not seem impressed.**

**The Hufflepuffs, who were usually on excellent terms with the Gryffindors, had turned remarkably cold toward the whole lot of them.**

"Not surprising really," Tonks explained with a sigh. "As long as they believed that you cheated your way in, they're not going to like you."

**One Herbology lesson was enough to demonstrate this. It was plain that the Hufflepuffs felt that Harry had stolen their champion's glory; a feeling exacerbated, perhaps, by the fact that Hufflepuff House very rarely got any glory, and that Cedric was one of the few who had ever given them any, having beaten Gryffindor once at Quidditch. Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch Fletchley, with whom Harry normally got on very well,**

"Except when they think you're the bloody Heir of Slytherin," Ron grumbled.

**did not talk to him even though they were repotting Bouncing Bulbs at the same tray – though they did laugh rather unpleasantly when one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from Harry's grip and smacked him hard in the face. Ron wasn't talking to Harry either. Hermione sat between them, making very forced conversation, but though both answered her normally, they avoided making eye contact with each other. Harry thought even Professor Sprout seemed distant with him – but then, she was Head of Hufflepuff House.**

"She is, but she doesn't usually let matters like this change the way she treats students, at least not in a negative way," Neville informed the others, he spent a good deal of time talking with Professor Sprout about plants and the like.

"Even Sprouts would probably find it hard not to be a little bitter about Cedric being push off to the side," Tonks confirmed.

**He would have been looking forward to seeing Hagrid under normal circumstances, but Care of Magical Creatures meant seeing the Slytherins too – the first time he would come face-to-face with them since becoming champion.**

Draco smirked as he read this, he was glad that Potter hated the thought of seeing him. He couldn't wait to see what he came up with.

**Predictably, Malfoy arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place.**

"**Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Harry. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer … Half the Triwizard champions have died…**

"That's not true is it?" Molly gasped, she of course knew that champions had died but she didn't know the status.

"No, it's not true," Arthur answered in a calm voice that usually helped her to relax.

"But Champions had died … a lot of them right?" Juliet asked.

"Unfortunately yes," Percy answered this time. "There had been a long time that the tournament hadn't resulted in anyone's death, but in the last hundred years that the Triwizard tournament was in place there was a least one death in the games. That's why they judged that it was too dangerous to continue. But I can guarantee that we are taking every precaution in this tournament, and it's more than just making sure the champions of age," he paused to look at Harry before he continued, "but there will be several people on hand to make sure to step in if things get too dangerous."

Juliet nodded her head, it sounded reassuring.

Sirius on the other hand knew how quickly things can 'get too dangerous' and that was quick enough for something terrible to happen.

**how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."**

"Then you must not like money much if you're making such a fools bet," George glared at him.

"What … too much time?" Draco drawled indifferently.

"If Harry doesn't have what it takes to last ten minutes in the tournament that he probably wouldn't be standing here before us now," Fred replied.

Draco rolled his eyes and then started reading; he didn't care to hear more about how great Saint Potter was.

**Crabbe and Goyle guffawed sycophantically, but Malfoy had to stop there, because Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To the class's horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk.**

"He's got to be bloody out of his mind!" Ron gasped, "He wants us to walk those … monster!"

"Apparently," Harry gulped. "Is there any way that we can talk to Hagrid now and make it so he doesn't teach us about these things?"

"While we're going there, why don't we get him to kill the beasts," Draco added.

"Hagrid would never do that," Harry countered, not saying that he agreed with Draco that that would be the better option.

**The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Malfoy completely.**

"**Take this thing for a walk?" he repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"**

"**Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating. "Er - yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry – you come here an' help me with this big one …"**

"I can do that," Harry stated, "that way Hagrid could do all the work."

**Hagrid's real intention, however, was to talk to Harry away from the rest of the class. He waited until everyone else had set off with their skrewts, then turned to Harry and said, very seriously, "So - yer competin', Harry. In the tournament. School champion."**

"**One of the champions," Harry corrected him.**

**Hagrid's beetle-black eyes looked very anxious under his wild eyebrows.**

"**No idea who put yeh in fer it, Harry?"**

Harry didn't even realize he was holding his breath until he let it out now. He had expected Hagrid to think that he entered the tournament on purpose and it was nice to hear that wasn't the case.

"**You believe I didn't do it, then?" said Harry, concealing with difficulty the rush of gratitude he felt at Hagrid's words.**

"**Course I do," Hagrid grunted. "Yeh say it wasn' you, an' I believe yeh - an' Dumbledore believes yer, an' all."**

Ron couldn't help but bow his head; he should have believed Harry too. Harry doesn't lie to him after all, not for something like this.

"I didn't have a chance to tell you before I went into that room," Harry pointed out to his friend in a whisper that no one else could hear.

"**Wish I knew who did do it," said Harry bitterly.**

**The pair of them looked out over the lawn; the class was widely scattered now, and all in great difficulty. The skrewts were now over three feet long, and extremely powerful. No longer shell-less and colorless, they had developed a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor. They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs – but still without recognizable heads or eyes. They had become immensely strong and very hard to control.**

"And they just keep get better and better," Draco grumbled.

"**Look like they're havin' fun, don' they?" Hagrid said happily. Harry assumed he was talking about the skrewts, because his classmates certainly weren't; every now and then, with an alarming bang, one of the skrewts' ends would explode, causing it to shoot forward several yards, and more than one person was being dragged along on their stomach, trying desperately to get back on their feet.**

"Bloody hell," Ron groaned along with the others in that class as a few others in the room laugh, the loudest being the twins.

"**Ah, I don' know, Harry," Hagrid sighed suddenly, looking back down at him with a worried expression on his face. "School champion … everythin' seems ter happen ter you, doesn' it?"**

**Harry didn't answer. Yes, everything did seem to happen to him … that was more or less what Hermione had said as they had walked around the lake, and that was the reason, according to her, that Ron was no longer talking to him.**

_No_, Ron thought as he frowned, that wasn't it. _Well, it was it, but it wasn't because of the things that happened to Harry, it was the fact that everyone paid so much attention to Harry while they were happening._ Ron's frown deepened, was there really a difference in what he just thought?

**The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts. The closest he had ever come to feeling like this had been during those months, in his second year, when a large part of the school had suspected him of attacking his fellow students. But Ron had been on his side then. He thought he could have coped with the rest of the school's behavior if he could just have had Ron back as a friend, but he wasn't going to try and persuade Ron to talk to him if Ron didn't want to. Nevertheless, it was lonely with dislike pouring in on him from all sides.**

It was Harry's turn to sit back in his seat with a thoughtful expression. He couldn't get what Hermione had said to him out his his head. Was he a bad friend for not going to Ron and trying to talk to him, even though Ron was the one that started this fight?

**He could understand the Hufflepuffs' attitude, even if he didn't like it; they had their own champion to support. He expected nothing less than vicious insults from the Slytherins – he was highly unpopular there and always had been, because he had helped Gryffindor beat them so often, both at Quidditch and in the Inter-House Championship.**

"It's for more reasons than that, Potter," Draco interrupted himself. "We hate you because you're you."

"Thanks for that clarification," Harry snorted drily.

**But he had hoped the Ravenclaws might have found it in their hearts to support him as much as Cedric. He was wrong, however. Most Ravenclaws seemed to think that he had been desperate to earn himself a bit more fame by tricking the goblet into accepting his name.**

"Nah, they're just angry that it was a Gryffindor and not one of their brainy Ravenclaws to get pass the age line," George noted.

**Then there was the fact that Cedric looked the part of a champion so much more than he did. Exceptionally handsome, with his straight nose, dark hair, and gray eyes, it was hard to say who was receiving more admiration these days, Cedric or Viktor Krum.**

"Wow, Cedric's popularity has risen even more," Ginny observed, everyone seemed to know who Cedric was already but to be on the same level as the famous Viktor Krum seemed far more than it was before.

"I thought you would have told Harry that he does look like champion," Ron murmured to Ginny who glared at him.

"I don't want to hear anything from you right now," she replied stiffly and Ron sighed, obviously Ginny hadn't forgiven him for his lack of faith in the book. Then she turned to Harry, her face turning red, "but you do look like a champion too."

Harry shrugged; he wasn't really sure what else he could do, as he didn't really believe that was true. He was short, at least much shorter than the other champions, and average looking.

**Harry actually saw the same sixth-year girls who had been so keen to get Krum's autograph begging Cedric to sign their school bags one lunchtime.**

**Meanwhile there was no reply from Sirius, Hedwig was refusing to come anywhere near him, Professor Trelawney was predicting his death with even more certainty than usual, and he did so badly at Summoning Charms in Professor Flitwick's class that he was given extra homework – the only person to get any, apart from Neville.**

Neville sighed, and Charms was one of his better subjects, but he still had probably with it.

"**It's really not that difficult, Harry," Hermione tried to reassure him as they left Flitwick's class**

"Yeah, maybe for you," Harry huffed. "There's nothing difficult in Charms …"

"Mate, there's nothing difficult in any class for Hermione," Ron corrected.

"That's not true," Hermione rebutted as they grinned at her. "I just take time to prepare myself of my lessons. I keep telling you that if you study a little before, you'd be able to master …"

"Yeah yeah, we know," Ron interrupted. "But if you think we're going to study before, when we won't study after …"

– **she had been making objects zoom across the room to her all lesson, as though she were some sort of weird magnet for board dusters, wastepaper baskets, and lunascopes. "You just weren't concentrating properly –"**

"**Wonder why that was," said Harry darkly as Cedric Diggory walked past, surrounded by a large group of simpering girls, all of whom looked at Harry as though he were a particularly large Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

"Aw Harry, if you want girls to follow you around you can just say so," Fred grinned.

"Yeah, Gi …"

"Don't finish that sentence," Ginny glared at George, who raised his hand and gave her an innocent smile.

**"Still - never mind, eh? Double Potions to look forward to this afternoon ..."**

**Double Potions was always a horrible experience, but these days it was nothing short of torture. Being shut in a dungeon for an hour and a half with Snape and the Slytherins, all of whom seemed determined to punish Harry as much as possible for daring to become school champion, was about the most unpleasant thing Harry could imagine.**

Draco was grinning again and he ignored the glares shot at him.

**He had already struggled through one Friday's worth, with Hermione sitting next to him intoning "ignore them, ignore them, ignore them" under her breath, and he couldn't see why today should be any better.**

Harry sighed, that didn't seem like something he wanted to do.

**When he and Hermione arrived at Snape's dungeon after lunch, they found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. For one wild moment Harry thought they were S.P.E.W. badges**

"As if," Draco again stopped reading to make a face, which was actually the same face that Hermione was making.

"Do you really think I would talk to them about S.P.E.W.?" Hermione turned to Harry.

"I thought you would talk to everyone to try and get the rights for the elves," Harry smiled sheepishly.

"The Slytherins don't talk to me," Hermione explained, "other than their insults that is, but that's not really talking. If I tried to inform them about something like this they would just tune me out."

– **then he saw that they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:**

**SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY—THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!**

"As if you even like that Cedric is the champion," Ron rolled his eyes, the Slytherins weren't likely to have appreciated the fact that a Hufflepuff was picked.

"**Like them, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly as Harry approached. "And this isn't all they do – look!"**

"Of course it's not," Harry mumbled Draco wouldn't have stopped him and talked to him if that was all that was on the badge. It probably made fun of him somehow.

**He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green: POTTER STINKS!**

"Oh no!" Fred gasped, "Harry did you hear that, you stink!"

"What a horrible insult!" George exclaimed. "How can you ever live that down?!"

Draco, who had been smirking, glared at the twins.

**The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. He felt the heat rise in his face and neck.**

"**Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty."**

"See, Hermione sees how stupid the badges are," George sniffed.

**Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing, but he wasn't sticking up for Harry either.**

Harry frowned, that probably hurt more than the badges or anything Draco could think to say. He was use to Ron sticking up for him in just about everything.

"**Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."**

Draco hadn't even thought to censor the words in the book, reading the word Mudblood out without hesitation … he even seemed to think his book self was being witty.

There was a great deal of reaction at that, Ron turned red with his shouting and Harry and Hermione had to hold him back when he stood up. Harry himself felt angry, but like he normally did at school, his first reaction was to stop Ron and it only occurred to him afterward that they weren't at school and they didn't have to fear points being taken away or detention. Maybe next time he'd let Ron punch the stupid git.

Teddy's face turned red too, Harry had told him that Draco was his rival at school and they hated each other, but he never knew how bad it was for him. His rivals at school were the other Quidditch players or the few people trying to get the top grades in their year. It was nothing like making fun of them during class or using such vile words as this. He was starting to get why his godfather told him to not get his hopes up when it came to Draco.

"All right, settle down everyone," Remus raised his voice over the others, his expression was blank, though he had given Draco a disappointed look. Remus had dealt with being called names all his life, even before people knew he was a werewolf, which thankfully didn't happened until he was out of school. He could see that Hermione was handling this much the same as him, trying to hide her own pain while being pleased by the defense everyone else in the room was doing on her own behalf. "We should continue reading."

Draco gulped; he no longer felt the joy of reading a chapter like this after being yelled out by four angry at once, all of which seemed happy to beat him if they were allowed. Then there was the fact that the people that had prevented him from such a beating looked just as angry at him as the others.

**Some of the anger Harry had been feeling for days and days seemed to burst through a dam in his chest. He had reached for his wand before he'd thought what he was doing. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.**

"You didn't seem to be thinking the same thing now," Ron complained so only Harry and Hermione could hear him. "You could have at least let me hit him."

"Sorry, I forgot we weren't at school," Harry admitted to him. "Next time."

"Harry!" Hermione groaned, she wouldn't stop both of them.

"**Harry!" Hermione said warningly.**

"**Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now – do it, if you've got the guts –"**

"Moody's not there to look after me?" Harry repeated. "You fired on me when my back was turn on you, you sniveling jerk. I don't need Moody or anyone else to duel you."

"Don't worry Harry, he's the one that's the coward," Ginny stated with narrow eyes, "He's just trying to make you stop because he knows he can't beat you fairly."

Draco would probably have said something to that, but he couldn't seem to get the words out when he looked up and found everyone still glaring at him.

**For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.**

"**Funnunculus!" Harry yelled.**

"**Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy.**

**Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles — Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione.**

"No!" Ron groaned as Hermione winced.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized to Hermione, he didn't want her to get hit because of his duel.

Draco smirked but didn't say anything, it's not like he cared that much that Goyle was hit, but he knew Potter cared that his Mudblood was.

"Stop smiling you slimy git, and read," Ron hissed at him, he was worried about what was going to happen to Hermione.

**Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up – Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.**

"Densaugeo?" Julie mumbled, "That doesn't have something to do with teeth."

"Er …" Remus temporized, when he noticed that he was looking at him.

Before he could answer Draco started reading, he wanted to hear this not the old wolf explaining it.

"**Hermione!"**

**Ron had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her; Harry turned and saw Ron dragging Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth – already larger than average**

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, knowing she wouldn't like this. She was also a little more annoyed that Harry had to mention her big front teeth.

– **were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin**

Hermione bowed her head, this was probably one of the worse curses she could think of having on her.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione, Madam Pomfrey will get them to look normal again," Ron whispered to her so no one but Harry (and Hermione) could hear him.

Hermione gave him a weak smile, it was nice of him to try to make her feel better but that didn't really help her much.

**- panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry.**

"**And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice.**

**Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."**

"**Potter attacked me, sir – "**

"Tattle telling, git," Ginny grumbled.

"**We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.**

"–** and he hit Goyle – look –"**

**Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.**

"Well at least you got him good," Fred stated with accusing eyes.

"If only it could have been this git," George added his expression dark as he looked at Draco.

"**Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.**

"**Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"**

**He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth – she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.**

"Stupid simpering hags," Ron grumbled.

**Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."**

"That F …" Ron started to say but his words were drowned out but Sirius.

"Snivellus you bloody scumbag, how can you treat a student like that!"

"But he's one of your professors," Juliet stated in disbelief, not seeming to hear either Ron or Sirius's reaction as she stared at her daughter. Hermione for her part was bowing her head as Ginny wrapped an arm around her. She knew that while Hermione was going to '_muggle_' school, she had always looked up to her teachers as she had trouble relating with her peers. The idea that one of her professors was this cruel to her made Juliet feel sick.

"He's always like that," Ron informed her, his eyes still burning with angry.

"He hates all Gryffindors," Fred added.

"And he hates Harry the most," Ron continued, "but he's always saying mean things about Hermione and me … well and Neville too. He goes out of his way to be cruel to us."

"And they allow someone that's outright cruel to his students to continue teaching?" Duncan questioned, he was outraged that his daughter was picked on this way by a man that was supposed to an adult and protect the students.

_He's not even being cruel_, Draco thought rolling his eyes, _all Snape said was there was no difference and that was probably true enough … what with long tooth Granger._

"Dumbledore wants to keep him as a professor," Remus answered with a sigh, he had known that Snape could be cruel, he had seen that on his first day teaching Harry and the others, when Snape had gone out of his way to pick on Neville. He had hoped that was the worst Snape got, but he had a feeling he was going to hear more in these books than he'd like.

"Hmph," Duncan didn't seem to be pleased by that answer, nor did Juliet.

Arthur and Molly too were looking concern, they had heard their children complain about Snape for years, but since they never got an actually account of what he said or did, they hadn't realized how bad it was. They decided to keep a close eye on the potion lessons from now on.

**Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.**

**It was lucky, perhaps, that both Harry and Ron started shouting at Snape at the same time; lucky their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him. He got the gist, however.**

"You shouldn't do that," Hermione huffed; she had to take a deep breath before she spook, her voice a little shaky. She didn't want to show that she was upset about Snape's comment, or the fact that the curse was so personal to her, but she couldn't hide it.

"I don't care what the git does to us, I'm not going to let him get away with treating my friend like that," Ron told her firmly.

"**Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."**

There were more bitter remarks after this but Draco kept reading.

**Harry's ears were ringing. The injustice of it made him want to curse Snape into a thousand slimy pieces.**

"Do it," Sirius and the twins encouraged.

**He passed Snape, walked with Ron to the back of the dungeon, and slammed his bag down onto the table. Ron was shaking with anger too – for a moment, it felt as though everything was back to normal between them, but then Ron turned and sat down with Dean and Seamus instead, leaving Harry alone at his table. On the other side of the dungeon, Malfoy turned his back on Snape and pressed his badge, smirking. POTTER STINKS flashed once more across the room. Harry sat there staring at Snape as the lesson began, picturing horrific things happening to him … If only he knew how to do the Cruciatus Curse …**

"Harry!" more than one voice shouted in shock.

"That's not a curse to be taken lightly," Neville rebuked in a soft voice, looking at his hands. He by no means liked Snape, but he didn't think his jerk of a potions master deserved that curse used on him.

"I'm sorry …" Harry apologized, but he couldn't really say what he was thinking as he hadn't thought that yet.

**he'd have Snape flat on his back like that spider, jerking and twitching.**

Harry couldn't help but feel a little sick that he had thought that, sure Snape was horrible but could he really torture him like that?

"I didn't realize that you were so brutal Potter," Draco drawled, looking at him oddly, which Harry found he didn't like any better than the horrified looks he was getting from the others.

"**Antidotes!" said Snape, looking around at them all, his cold black eyes glittering unpleasantly. "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one …"**

"That doesn't sound so safe," Juliet observed, she didn't like this professor and wasn't about to give him the benefit of a doubt.

"Slughorn did the same for us in our year," Remus explained, "he had a bezoar in case the potion didn't work …"

"Of course there was no danger of that since he made Lily try her's out," Sirius said.

"My mum?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, she was the best at potions, never got anything wrong … which wouldn't have been so bad if Slughorn didn't fawn all over her," Sirius sighed.

Harry didn't even pay attention to the last bit, he had just learn something new about his mum … she was good at potions.

**Snape's eyes met Harry's, and Harry knew what was coming. Snape was going to poison him.**

Sirius growled at that, he didn't care if the slimy git had the right antidote with him he didn't want Harry to be poisoned.

**Harry imagined picking up his cauldron, and sprinting to the front of the class, and bringing it down on Snape's greasy head – And then a knock on the dungeon door burst in on Harry's thoughts.**

**It was Colin Creevey; he edged into the room, beaming at Harry, and walked up to Snape's desk at the front of the room.**

"**Yes?" said Snape curtly.**

"**Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs." Snape stared down his hooked nose at Colin, whose smile faded from his eager face.**

"But Harry's smile just seems to be getting wider," George noted.

"Wouldn't you be smiling when you realize you don't have to be poisoned?" Harry questioned.

"You know this probably has something to do with the tournament," Fred pointed out.

"Oh … right," Harry acknowledged, his smile wavering a little. "Well this should still be better than being poisoned."

"**Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," said Snape coldly. "He will come upstairs when this class is finished."**

**Colin went pink.**

"**Sir – sir, Mr. Bagman wants him," he said nervously. "All the champions have got to go, I think they want to take photographs …"**

"There goes that smile," George chuckled as Harry rolled his eyes.

**Harry would have given anything he owned to have stopped Colin saying those last few words. He chanced half a glance at Ron, but Ron was staring determinedly at the ceiling.**

"Well that's not going to help my mood at all," Ron muttered darkly.

"**Very well, very well," Snape snapped. "Potter, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote."**

"**Please, sir – he's got to take his things with him," squeaked Colin. "All the champions …"**

"**Very well!" said Snape. "Potter – take your bag and get out of my sight!"**

"Aw, poor Snapey stopped again," Fred teased.

"This just means I'm probably going to be poisoned," Neville sighed, and Hermione wasn't even there to help make sure his antidote was right.

**Harry swung his bag over his shoulder, got up, and headed for the door. As he walked through the Slytherin desks, POTTER STINKS flashed at him from every direction.**

"**It's amazing, isn't it, Harry?" said Colin, starting to speak the moment Harry had closed the ****dungeon door behind him. "Isn't it, though? You being champion?"**

"**Yeah, really amazing," said Harry heavily as they set off toward the steps into the entrance hall. "What do they want photos for, Colin?"**

"**The Daily Prophet, I think!"**

"It probably will be in the international paper as well," Percy noted.

"**Great," said Harry dully. "Exactly what I need. More publicity."**

"**Good luck!" said Colin when they had reached the right room. Harry knocked on the door and entered.**

"Why was it Colin that got me?" Harry wondered, he didn't know if there was anyone that would have been worst. Then again he wasn't sure if anyone could have stood up to Snape like Colin did, in his too cheerful way.

**He was in a fairly small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch Harry had never seen before, who was wearing magenta robes.**

Arthur narrowed his eyes at the mention of that, he had a feeling he knew who that was, but he hoped he wasn't right.

**Viktor Krum was standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Cedric and Fleur were in conversation. Fleur looked a good deal happier than Harry had seen her so far; she kept throwing back her head so that her long silvery hair caught the light.**

"She must be flirting with Cedric," Fred noted.

**A paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly, was watching Fleur out of the corner of his eye.**

"Or for that paunchy man," George added.

**Bagman suddenly spotted Harry, got up quickly, and bounded forward.**

"**Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come, Harry, in you come … nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment – "**

"What is a wand weighing ceremony?" Duncan wondered.

"I'm sure it will explain soon," Remus responded.

"**Wand weighing?" Harry repeated nervously.**

"**We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman.**

"What would happen if the wand wasn't fully functional?" Ron asked, he couldn't help but think of his old wand, even in his first year he wasn't the best and that was nothing to his second year.

"Well if it was broken, but repairable then one of the wand experts would have fixed it," Remus answered. "If it was unrepairable, then you'd have to get a new one."

"My question is, why couldn't Colin have said that this was a wand weighing thing and not that they were taking photographs?" Harry sighed.

"Aw, poor, poor too famous Harry, having to stand for a photo-shoot!" Fred smirked.

**"The expert's upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there's going to be a little photoshoot. This is Rita Skeeter," he added, gesturing toward the witch in magenta robes.**

"Argh! It is her," Arthur groaned, and he wasn't the only one that groaned.

"Why would she be there?" Sirius asked.

"She is one of the Daily Prophet leading columnist when it comes to events," Remus replied, his face showing his disdain he felt for what he just said.

**"She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet …"**

"**Maybe not that small, Ludo," said Rita Skeeter, her eyes on Harry.**

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this," Harry commented with a sigh.

"Because nothing Skeeter writes is appealing," Remus informed him grimly.

**Her hair was set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson.**

"**I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry before we start?" she said to Bagman, but still gazing fixedly at Harry. "The youngest champion, you know … to add a bit of color?"**

"No," several people protested.

"**Certainly!" cried Bagman.**

Sirius made a face, Bagman was a very good beater but he wasn't very good at stopping annoying people from talking to his godson.

**"That is – if Harry has no objection?"**

"**Er –" said Harry.**

"You've got to make a better objection than that," George told him.

"I don't think I know that I should avoid her yet," Harry replied.

"**Lovely," said Rita Skeeter, and in a second, her scarlet-taloned fingers had Harry's upper arm in a surprisingly strong grip, and she was steering him out of the room again and opening a nearby door.**

"**We don't want to be in there with all that noise," she said. "Let's see … ah, yes, this is nice and cozy."**

**It was a broom cupboard. Harry stared at her.**

"Awe, Harry, finally got a girl in a broom cupboard have you," Fred stated, waggling his eyebrow.

"That's seriously disgusting, mate," Sirius countered chuckling.

"**Come along, dear – that's right – lovely," said Rita Skeeter again, perching herself precariously upon an upturned bucket, pushing Harry down onto a cardboard box, and closing the door, throwing them into darkness. "Let's see now …"**

**She unsnapped her crocodile-skin handbag and pulled out a handful of candles, which she lit with a wave of her wand and magicked into midair, so that they could see what they were doing.**

"**You won't mind, Harry, if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill? It leaves me free to talk to you normally ****…"**

"**A what?" said Harry.**

"That's what I was thinking too," Harry chuckled.

"It's a quill that dictates what is said around it," Percy explained, "it's very useful, it can take notes as you listen to what is being said."

"I want one of those," Ron groaned, that would mean he wouldn't have to pay attention during class.

"I don't know why you care, you always look at my notes," Hermione pointed out.

"That's true, that's as good as any Quick-Quotes Quill," Ron agreed.

**Rita Skeeter's smile widened. Harry counted three gold teeth. She reached again into her crocodile bag and drew out a long acid-green quill and a roll of parchment, which she stretched out between them on a crate of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover. She put the tip of the green quill into her mouth, sucked it for a moment with apparent relish, then placed it upright on the parchment, where it stood balanced on its point, quivering slightly.**

"**Testing … my name is Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter."**

**Harry hooked down quickly at the quill. The moment Rita Skeeter had spoken, the green quill had started to scribble, skidding across the parchment:**

_**Attractive blonde Rita Skeeter, forty-three, who**_**'**_**s savage quill has punctured many inflated reputations –**_

"That doesn't sound the same as the quill you described," Ron pointed out to Percy who looked at the book with a shocked expression.

"That defeats the purpose of the quill if it's just going to make things up!" Percy exclaimed in outrage.

"**Lovely," said Rita Skeeter, yet again, and she ripped the top piece of parchment off, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her handbag. Now she leaned toward Harry and said, "So, Harry … what made you decide to enter the Triwizard Tournament?"**

"**Er -" said Harry again, but he was distracted by the quill. Even though he wasn't speaking, it was dashing across the parchment, and in its wake he could make out a fresh sentence:**

_**An ugly scar, souvenier of a tragic past, disfigures the otherwise charming face of Harry Potter, whose eyes –**_

Draco snorted, as if Potter's face was charming.

"**Ignore the quill, Harry," said Rita Skeeter firmly. Reluctantly Harry looked up at her instead. "Now — why did you decide to enter the tournament, Harry?"**

"**I didn't," said Harry. "I don't know how my name got into the Goblet of Fire. I didn't put it in there."**

**Rita Skeeter raised one heavily penciled eyebrow.**

"**Come now, Harry, there's no need to be scared of getting into trouble. We all know you shouldn't really have entered at all. But don't worry about that. Our readers love a rebel."**

"Well that's our Harry all over, a rebel!" Fred shouted.

Harry wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

"**But I didn't enter," Harry repeated. "I don't know who –"**

"**How do you feel about the tasks ahead?" said Rita Skeeter. "Excited? Nervous?"**

"**I haven't really thought … yeah, nervous, I suppose," said Harry. His insides squirmed uncomfortably as he spoke.**

"**Champions have died in the past, haven't they?" said Rita Skeeter briskly. "Have you thought about that at all?"**

"**Well … they say it's going to be a lot safer this year," said Harry.**

**The quill whizzed across the parchment between them, back and forward as though it were skating.**

"**Of course, you've looked death in the face before, haven't you?" said Rita Skeeter, watching him closely. "How would you say that's affected you?"**

"That's a personal question and it has nothing to do with the tournament," Sirius commented hotly.

"But are you really surprise that she would bring this up?" Tonks questioned. "The actually surprising part is it took her that long to get to it."

Harry frowned, he didn't want to talk about that with this lady, for one thing he didn't know or like her. For another it wasn't something he could really describe.

"**Er," said Harry, yet again.**

"**Do you think that the trauma in your past might have made you keen to prove yourself? To live up to your name? Do you think that perhaps you were tempted to enter the Triwizard Tournament because – "**

Listening to the question in Draco's drawling and taunting voice made Harry sit on edge. He hadn't entered the tournament, but did he want prove himself? He didn't like the fame he had because he didn't remember how he got it, but he does in a way try to live up to it, doesn't he?

"**I didn't enter," said Harry, starting to feel irritated.**

"**Can you remember your parents at all?" said Rita Skeeter, talking over him.**

"**No," said Harry.**

This caused Sirius and Remus to look at the boy sadly, it was hard to hear that he had no memories at all of his parents, though they could both remember times where the three Potters were happy.

Teddy on the other hand was looking at Remus and Tonks, until this day he had no memories of his parents either.

"**How do you think they'd feel if they knew you were competing in the Triwizard Tournament? Proud? Worried? Angry?"**

**Harry was feeling really annoyed now. How on earth was he to know how his parents would feel if they were alive?**

"Lily would probably be the latter two," Remus answered in a soft voice. "She never used to worry until you were born …"

"But she went ballistic any time you were in the slightest pit of danger," Sirius snorted. "Like the time we were playing catch with your dad."

"You and James were throwing Harry across the room … using him as the ball," Remus reminded Sirius.

"The floor had Cushioning Charms on it," Sirius defended. "And neither James nor I would have dropped him, thank you very much."

"How would my dad react?" Harry asked, wanting to hear more.

"He'd be all three," Sirius answered. "That is if you did enter the tournament on your own. He'd be proud of you of course, and angry that he couldn't be champion."

Harry laughed at that. He wished he could sit here and listen to more about his parents and their possible reaction to his life, but Draco started reading again.

**He could feel Rita Skeeter watching him very intently. Frowning, he avoided her gaze and hooked down at words the quill had just written:**

_**Tears fill those startlingly green eyes as our conversation turns to the parents he can barely remember.**_

"**I have NOT got tears in my eyes!" said Harry loudly.**

"Oh don't be ashamed to admit that," Fred argued, "girls love a bloke that's got a sensitive side. As long as you keep working that rebel thing, you'd be fine."

"Thanks," Harry responded drily.

**Before Rita Skeeter could say a word, the door of the broom cupboard was pulled open. Harry looked around, blinking in the bright light. Albus Dumbledore stood there, looking down at both of them, squashed into the cupboard.**

"**Dumbledore!" cried Rita Skeeter, with every appearance of delight – but Harry noticed that her quill and the parchment had suddenly vanished from the box of Magical Mess Remover, and Rita's clawed fingers were hastily snapping shut the clasp of her crocodile-skin bag.**

"What's that about?" Percy narrowed his eyes, he still was bitter about the quill and the horrible notes it was taking.

**"How are you?" she said, standing up and holding out one of her large, mannish hands to Dumbledore.**

"Mannish hands?" George asked, with a chuckled. "Maybe she's a guy in drag?"

**"I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference?"**

"**Enchantingly nasty," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat."**

**Rita Skeeter didn't look remotely abashed.**

"Why would she, an obsolete dingbat is probably the nicest thing she's said about someone in an article," Remus grumbled under his breath.

"**I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old-fashioned, Dumbledore, and that many wizards in the street -"**

"**I will be delighted to hear the reasoning behind the rudeness, Rita," said Dumbledore, with a courteous bow and a smile, "but I'm afraid we will have to discuss the matter later. The Weighing of the Wands is about to start, and it cannot take place if one of our champions is hidden in a broom cupboard."**

**Very glad to get away from Rita Skeeter, Harry hurried back into the room. The other champions were now sitting in chairs near the door, and he sat down quickly next to Cedric, looking up at the velvet-covered table, where four of the five judges were now sitting – Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Mr. Crouch, and Ludo Bagman. Rita Skeeter settled herself down in a corner; Harry saw her slip the parchment out of her bag again, spread it on her knee, suck the end of the Quick-Quotes Quill, and place it once more on the parchment.**

"I wonder if she's making so the quill will write down her own thoughts instead of the words that are being said," Bill mused, "that seems more likely."

"It doesn't seem very useful," Percy grumbled.

"**May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges' table and talking to the champions. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."**

**Harry looked around, and with a jolt of surprise saw an old wizard with large, pale eyes standing quietly by the window. Harry had met Mr. Ollivander before – he was the wand-maker from whom Harry had bought his own wand over three years ago in Diagon Alley.**

"**Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room.**

"Ladies first, it seems," Duncan noted.

**Fleur Delacour swept over to Mr. Olhivander and handed him her wand.**

"**Hmm …" he said.**

**He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it chose to his eyes and examined it carefully.**

"**Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches … inflexible … rosewood … and containing … dear me …"**

"**An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmuzzer's."**

"Ha! She is a veela!" Ron cheered and then turned to Hermione, "I told you so."

"She's only a quarter veela," Hermione mumbled.

"Trust me that's still rather effective," Teddy commented, not thinking of Fleur so much, "the veela part stays strong for several generations in their descendents."

"You talk as if you have a personal experience in that matter," Bill noted shrewdly.

"I might have," Teddy smiled, but giving nothing else away.

_**So Fleur was part veela,**_** thought Harry, making a mental note to tell Ron … then he remembered that Ron wasn't speaking to him.**

Ron grimaced, he wish Harry would tell him this but he completely understood that wasn't going to happen in the book.

"**Yes," said Mr. Ollivander, "yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands … however, to each his own, and if this suits you …"**

"So that's probably not a good wand for any Weasley to have," Ginny stated, they were temperamental lot and having a wand that was that way too would just be begging for trouble.

"You'd think that," Teddy mumbled, thinking of Dominique, who had a wand with the core of her great-grandmother's hair and got the one to work for her nicely. Her sibling, on the other hand, weren't well suited for the veela wand.

**Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.**

"**Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand.**

_I wonder if he gets a good result from everyone's wand because he's so practiced in making them? _Teddy thought.

**"Mr. Diggory, you next." Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Cedric as he passed her.**

"**Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Mr. Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn … must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches … ash … pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition … You treat it regularly?"**

"Who treats their wand?" Fred rolled his eyes.

"You should probably work on that," Tonks informed him, "I never used to and then I got chewed out by all of my Auror instructors for not taking good care of it."

"Well I'm not going to be an Auror, so I don't think I'll have to worry about that," Fred replied.

"Suit yourself," Tonks shrugged.

"**Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning.**

**Harry hooked down at his own wand. He could see finger marks all over it. He gathered a fistful of robe from his knee and tried to rub it clean surreptitiously. Several gold sparks shot out of the end of it. Fleur Delacour gave him a very patronizing look, and he desisted.**

Nearly everyone was sniggering at this as Harry made a face.

**Mr. Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Cedric's wand, pronounced himself satisfied, and then said, "Mr. Krum, if you please."**

"Why do I have to be last," Harry sighed.

**Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.**

"**Hmm," said Mr. Olhivander, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I … however …"**

**He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.**

"**Yes … hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees … quite rigid … ten and a quarter inches … Avis!"**

**The hornbeam wand let off a blast hike a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.**

"**Good," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "Which leaves … Mr. Potter."**

**Harry got to his feet and walked past Krum to Mr. Ollivander. He handed over his wand.**

"**Aaaah, yes," said Mr. Ohlivander, his pale eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember."**

**Harry could remember too. He could remember it as though it had happened yesterday …**

_Do I really have to remember it like that,_ Harry thought, he had never told anyone about his wand but he was sure it was about to be in this stupid book.

**Four summers ago, on his eleventh birthday, he had entered Mr. Ollivander's shop with Hagrid to buy a wand. Mr. Ollivander had taken his measurements and then started handing him wands to try. Harry had waved what felt like every wand in the shop, until at last he had found the one that suited him – this one, which was made of holly, eleven inches long, and contained a single feather from the tail of a phoenix. Mr. Ollivander had been very surprised that Harry had been so compatible with this wand. "Curious," he had said, "curious," and not until Harry asked what was curious had Mr. Olhivander explained that the phoenix feather in Harry's wand had come from the same bird that had supplied the core of Lord Voldemort's.**

"WHAT?" was the general exclamation from everyone in the room and they all looked at Harry.

"You never told us that!" Ron shouted.

Harry shrugged, "it's not something I share often."

"I wonder why," Ron snorted sarcastically; he wouldn't likely have shared that thought.

"That is very strange though," Remus mused, "that you would have the same core as him … I wonder …" he was then lost in thoughts as he went over all the things he knew about wands in his head.

"Maybe the core recognized the damage it's brother did to you and wanted to help you or something," Neville suggested weakly. No one said anything to that.

"I take it, it's not common to have the same animal supply the core for different wands," Juliet mused out loud feeling at a lost to why everyone was reacting this way.

"It depends on the animal of course, but most wand makers try to only make a few wands with the same core," Bill answered. "Most wizards want a unique wand so they don't want their core to be shared with too many others."

**Harry had never shared this piece of information with anybody. He was very fond of his wand, and as far as he was concerned its relation to Voldemort's wand was something it couldn't help – rather as he couldn't help being related to Aunt Petunia.**

"You said it Harry," Sirius smiled at him, "your wand is a good sort - not like Voldemort's."

**However, he really hoped that Mr. Ollivander wasn't about to tell the room about it. He had a funny feeling Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill might just explode with excitement if he did.**

"Yes, I'm afraid that would be something everyone would be interested in hearing," Arthur sighed. "It is a curious thing really."

**Mr. Ollivander spent much longer examining Harry's wand than anyone else's.**

"Probably because of all those finger prints on it," George sniffed shaking his head.

**Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to Harry, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.**

"**Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now – or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end-"**

**Feeling that at last something had gone right today, Harry got up to leave, but the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat.**

"And your hopeful feeling was dashed in flash," Fred chuckled.

"**Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"**

"**Er – yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Harry again. "And then perhaps some individual shots."**

Harry didn't like the sound of that.

**The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood, and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame; eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl;**

"Oh I'm sure he looks dashing now," Fred rolled his eyes.

"More like a cartoon muggle villain," Sirius laughed.

"You know about cartoons?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I use to walk to a muggle movie theater when I was younger," Sirius smiled. "It used to drive my mum up the wall."

**Krum, whom Harry would have thought would have been used to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group. The photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Harry into greater prominence.**

"Please, put Fleur there," Harry prayed.

"Yeah, we'd rather see the pretty girl, than this scrawny git," George added.

_I'd rather see Harry_, Ginny thought to herself.

**Then she insisted on separate shots of all the champions. At last, they were free to go. Harry went down to dinner. Hermione wasn't there – he supposed she was still in the hospital wing having her teeth fixed. He ate alone at the end of the table, then returned to Gryffindor Tower, thinking of all the extra work on Summoning Charms that he had to do. Up in the dormitory, he came across Ron.**

"**You've had an owl," said Ron brusquely the moment he walked in. He was pointing at Harry's pillow. The school barn owl was waiting for him there.**

"**Oh - right," said Harry.**

"**And we've got to do our detentions tomorrow night, Snape's dungeon," said Ron. He then walked straight out of the room, not looking at Harry. For a moment, Harry considered going after him – he wasn't sure whether he wanted to talk to him or hit him, both seemed quite appealing**

Ron grimaced, "I guess I deserve that."

"Nah mate, not getting hit at least," Harry denied uncomfortably.

– **but the lure of Sirius's answer was too strong. Harry strode over to the barn owl, took the letter off its leg, and unrolled it.**

_**Harry -**_

_**I can**_**'**_**t say everything I would like to in a letter, it**_**'**_**s too risky in case the owl is intercepted**_

"Do you think that would really happen?" Remus mused.

"Better not risk it," Sirius replied, "Though just sending the letter is risk, at least it wouldn't have too much information in it if was intercepted."

– _**we need to talk face-to-face.**_

"And that's not risky?" Remus questioned, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"I never said I don't take risks, just not the ones that I don't like," Sirius shrugged.

_**Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o**_**'**_**clock in the morning on the 22nd ofNovember?**_

_**I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself and while you**_**'**_**re around Dumbledore and Moody I don**_**'**_**t think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under Dumbkdore**_**'**_**s nose.**_

_**Be on the watch, Harry. I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 22nd of November as quickly as you can.**_

_**Sirius**_

"That's the end of the chapter," Draco finished, glad to be done with reading.

"I wonder how I'm going to contact you?" Sirius questioned himself, "I did say face to face."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Molly cut in. "It's getting really late. It's already ten past Ginny and Ron's normal bed time."

Draco sniggered at that as Ron and Ginny both rolled their eyes.

"You're right, it is getting late," Juliet agreed looking at her watch.

"But I want to know what's going to happen in the first task!" Sirius complained. "I don't think I can sleep until I know."

"There's not likely going to be a good place for use to stop this book," Remus argued, "after the first task you'll want to know what happens in the next. I think it's better if we go to bed and come back in the morning to read again."

"You're never on my side," Sirius crossed his arms and pouted at his oldest friend.


	20. The Hungarian Horntail

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty

The Hungarian Horntail

There were ten bedroom in the house, the two largest had three beds in them, where Harry, Ron and Neville stayed in one and Hermione, Ginny and Tonks stayed in the other. The two smallest rooms with a single bed in it went to Teddy and Draco a piece. The rest of the rooms were filled with pairs as the twins took one, Bill and Percy another and Sirius and Remus deciding to share (instead of making Teddy stay with Draco). The remaining rooms went to Arthur and Molly and then Duncan and Juliet.

Most of the house had found the beds to be comfortable though not like the ones they were used to and had a fairly good night's sleep. Though their thoughts on what had happen in the book so far made it somewhat difficult to fall asleep at first. When it came to morning time most were ready to start reading again.

"Hey," Ron said to Hermione, who was in the living room reading some book that Ron hadn't seen before. The room was mostly empty, for most were in the kitchen still eating breakfast except Remus was talking with Tonks on the opposite couch.

"Hey," Hermione smiled at him, until she took in his expression, he looked a little tired with a light circle under his eye. "Were you able to sleep?"

"Not every well," Ron smiled back at her sheepishly. "I just really hate how I'm acting in the book."

"Ron," she murmured softly.

"Yeah, I know, I'm jealous," Ron grumbled, "I heard your explanation the first time."

"I'm sorry for saying that … even though I didn't say it," Hermione replied, thinking about what she had said about him being jealous of Harry and the things about his brothers. "I didn't … it wasn't …"

"Whatever," Ron shrugged. He had a thoughtful expression on his face and he continued, "Something really bad is going to happen in the first task … and I'm not going to be there to help Harry because my head is going to be up my arse."

"Ron," Hermione sighed. "You're going to help …" Ron raised an eyebrow at her, "okay, maybe not the first task, but you're going come back because you're going to do what your friend needs over what you need."

"Huh?" Ron asked, not sure what she meant.

"You heard what I said about you being a good friend, right?" Hermione questioned.

"Of course, you said a bunch of shite that will get me in trouble with Mum and Dad later," Ron answered.

She rolled her eyes at the part he choice to recall. "You're a good friend Ronald Weasley, you're always there when we need you."

"Thanks," Ron said smiling at her, "you're a good friend too."

"Aw, are little Ronniekins and Hermionees having a precious moment?" Fred singsong in his most teasing voice.

"Go stuff yourself," Ron hissed at his brother.

"As lovely as that sounds, we're actually thinking about starting to read again," Fred replied, not perturbed at all with the glare Ron and Hermione were both giving him.

"I supposed I should read," Teddy volunteered, "keep things in the same order so we don't have to volunteer all the time."

"Just get on with the reading already," Sirius huffed. "Unless you just want to tell me what's going to happen in the tasks."

"I'm afraid not," Teddy sighed, and picked up the book and read out the chapter title, **"The Hungarian Horntail."**

"Bloody hell, who needs you to tell me anything with a title like that!" Sirius groaned.

"What is it?" Juliet asked Arthur, who had turned pale.

"A type of dragon," he answered quietly, though his voice travel throughout the room anyways.

Harry gulped, this chapter was not starting off well and it was just the bloody title!

**The prospect of talking face-to-face with Sirius was all that sustained Harry over the next fortnight,** **the only bright spot on a horizon that had never looked darker.**

"Well I'm glad I could cheer you up a bit," Sirius sighed. "At least this time you're glad about my letter and not afraid I'm going to get caught."

"Though I think your horizon might look darker by the end of this chapter," Fred pointed out, thinking of the chapter name.

**The shock of finding himself school champion had worn off slightly now, and the fear of what was facing him had started to sink in. The first task was drawing steadily nearer; he felt as though it were crouching ahead of him like some horrific monster, barring his path. He had never suffered nerves like these; they were way beyond anything he had experienced before a Quidditch match,**

"Yeah, because you're not likely to die in a Quidditch match," Ron commented, though only so Harry and Hermione could hear him.

**not even his last one against Slytherin, which had decided who would win the Quidditch Cup. Harry was finding it hard to think about the future at all; he felt as though his whole life had been heading up to, and would finish with, the first task.**

This did nothing to ease the tension that was in the room.

"All good old Harry, always going to the melodramatic side of things," Fred whistled, shaking his head.

"The first task is nothing to joke about," Molly scowled him.

"Oh so you think Harry's not good enough to take on the tasks, I'm so disappointed mother," Fred shook his head.

**Admittedly, he didn't see how Sirius was going to make him feel any better about having to perform an unknown piece of difficult and dangerous magic in front of hundreds of people, but the mere sight of a friendly face would be something at the moment. Harry wrote back to Sirius saying that he would be beside the common room fire at the time Sirius had suggested; and he and Hermione spent a long time going over plans for forcing any stragglers out of the common room on the night in question. If the worst came to the worst, they were going to drop a bag of Dungbombs, but they hoped they wouldn't have to resort to that – Filch would skin them alive.**

"Not to mention it would make our common room stink," George added. "You should have contracted us to clear the common room. We wouldn't ask question and we do it a lot cleaner than a dungbomb."

"I'll remember that in the future when I need the common room cleared," Harry snorted.

"Or just trouble in general," Fred added. "We don't really care where we use our talents to use."

**In the meantime, life became even worse for Harry within the confines of the castle, for Rita Skeeter had published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament, and it had turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament as a highly colored life story of Harry. Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Harry; the article (continuing on pages two, six, and seven) had been all about Harry, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.**

"Argh, as if things weren't bad enough, now this," Harry complained, the article he could probably deal with, but the fact that the others were pushed aside was would only paint more of an egotistical git to his fellow students at Hogwarts.

"I can't believe they would spell Krum's name wrong, he's bloody famous too!" Ron shouted indignantly.

**The article had appeared ten days ago, and Harry still got a sick, burning feeling of shame in his stomach every time he thought about it. Rita Skeeter had reported him saying an awful lot of things that he couldn't remember ever saying in his life, let alone in that broom cupboard.**

_**I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now …**_

"They would be Harry," Remus commented with a sigh, though it wasn't for the reason that was in the book, he believed they would have been proud of him.

_**Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it …**_

Harry's face turned red.

"She can't even write a believable teenager," Fred shook his head, "what guy would admit that even if they weren't ashamed of crying."

_**I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me…**_

"Wow Harry, I never knew that you believed in such sappy crap," George snickered.

"Actually something like that might be true," Ron countered reasonably, "it would explain why Harry's made it through his first three years, if his parents were watching over him."

**But Rita Skeeter had gone even further than transforming his "er's" into long, sickly sentences: She had interviewed other people about him too.**

_**Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey,**_ _**says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.**_

"Oh this is ridiculous," Harry rolled his eyes.

"I never knew you two were a couple!" Fred gasped.

"Shut it," Ron hissed at him.

"I wasn't even talking about you, Ronniekins," Fred smirked at him.

"Duncan, stop glaring at those boys," Juliet whispered to her husband. "It clear this woman doesn't know how to write the truth, and Harry obviously doesn't have feelings for Hermione."

"I wasn't worried so much about him," Duncan muttered his eyes on Ron now.

Juliet didn't bother to reassure him about that one though she did remind her husband that Hermione was nearly fifteen, which didn't seem to make him feel any better.

**From the moment the article had appeared, Harry had had to endure people — Slytherins, mainly — quoting it at him as he passed and making sneering comments.**

Draco smirked as Harry rolled his eyes.

"**Want a hanky, Potter, in case you start crying in Transfiguration?"**

"**Since when have you been one of the top students in the school, Potter? Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together?"**

Neville sighed, why was it always him being picked on even when he didn't do anything.

"You're not even one of the worse in the year," Ginny told him, noticing Neville's reaction, "that honor actually belongs to half the Slytherins in your class."

"The other half of the Slytherins are actually top of the class," Draco countered.

"You don't get any better grades than I do, Malfoy," Harry rolled his eyes. "Not all around."

"I'm better at Potions and Transfiguration and …"

"I said all around," Harry repeated, rolling his eyes. "I can list the classes that I'm better than you at too."

"Whatever," Draco rolled his eyes.

"**Hey – Harry!"**

"**Yeah, that's right!" Harry found himself shouting as he wheeled around in the corridor, having had just about enough. "I've just been crying my eyes out over my dead mum, and I'm just off to do a bit more …"**

"**No – it was just – you dropped your quill."**

**It was Cho. Harry felt the color rising in his face.**

Several people sniggered as Harry turned red and held his face in his hands. Of course the one time he snapped back it would have to be to Cho.

"Tough luck mate," Ron murmured with a chuckle in his voice.

"**Oh – right – sorry," he muttered, taking the quill back.**

"**Er … good luck on Tuesday," she said. "I really hope you do well."**

**Which left Harry feeling extremely stupid.**

"It wasn't so bad," Ron pointed out, still sounding as if he was laughing. "At least she wished you luck."

"Yeah," Harry replied smiling, that was true.

**Hermione had come in for her fair share of unpleasantness too, but she hadn't yet started yelling at innocent bystanders; in fact, Harry was full of admiration for the way she was handling the situation.**

"**Stunningly pretty? Her?" Pansy Parkinson had shrieked the first time she had come face-to-face with Hermione after Rita's article had appeared. "What was she judging against – a chipmunk?"**

"Bloody pug nose bitch …" Ron growled at the book, though his mum and Hermione protested his use of language he didn't listen to them. "What the hell does she know about good looks?"

"Aw, I think he's calling you pretty, in his own Ronish way," George told Hermione.

Ron and Hermione blushed and avoided each other eyes.

"**Ignore it," Hermione said in a dignified voice, holding her head in the air and stalking past the sniggering Slytherin girls as though she couldn't hear them. "Just ignore it, Harry."**

"How can you do that?" Harry asked her.

"Practice," Hermione shrugged. "And you already asked me that."

"I still don't understand it," Harry sighed.

**But Harry couldn't ignore it. Ron hadn't spoken to him at all since he had told him about Snape's detentions. Harry had half hoped they would make things up during the two hours they were forced to pickle rats' brains in Snape's dungeon,**

"Because that's always the best place to make up with friends, in the middle of pickling rat's brains," Ron stated sarcastically.

"Well we are alone together, it could have happened," Harry shrugged.

**but that had been the day Rita's article had appeared, which seemed to have confirmed Ron's belief that Harry was really enjoying all the attention.**

Ron made a face at that. From the perspective that he was in now, it was so obviously a load of crap, so it was hard for him to see why he would believe it. He supposed he was in such a mood that he wanted to believe the worst in his friend.

**Hermione was furious with the pair of them; she went from one to the other, trying to force them to talk to each other, but Harry was adamant: He would talk to Ron again only if Ron admitted that Harry hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire and apologized for calling him a liar.**

That request did sound reasonable to Harry, but again he thought about what Hermione had said earlier and wondered if it might have been better for him to just swallow his pride and be the one to make the first move.

"I think it would have been hard for you to talk me around if I was stubborn enough to think that article was telling the truth," Ron whispered that to the thoughtful Harry. "Don't worry about it mate."

"**I didn't start this," Harry said stubbornly. "It's his problem."**

"**You miss him!" Hermione said impatiently. "And I know he misses you –"**

"**Miss him?" said Harry. "I don't miss him …"**

**But this was a downright lie. Harry liked Hermione very much, but she just wasn't the same as Ron.**

"I always knew you liked him better," Hermione sighed dramatically in jest, though that was something she had thought about before.

**There was much less laughter and a lot more hanging around in the library when Hermione was your best friend.**

"Can you really blame me after that description?" Harry asked her.

"Are you saying I'm not your best friend now?" Hermione pouted.

"No … of course not!" Harry spluttered. "You're my best friend."

**Harry still hadn't mastered Summoning Charms, he seemed to have developed something of a block about them, and Hermione insisted that learning the theory would help. They consequently spent a lot of time poring over books during their lunchtimes.**

**Viktor Krum was in the library an awful lot too, and Harry wondered what he was up to. Was he studying, or was he looking for things to help him through the first task?**

**Hermione often complained about Krum being there – not that he ever bothered them – but because groups of giggling girls often turned up to spy on him from behind bookshelves, and Hermione found the noise distracting.**

"Of course that would annoy you," Ron sniggered as he rolled his eyes.

"**He's not even good-looking!" she muttered angrily, glaring at Krum's sharp profile. "They only like him because he's famous! They wouldn't look twice at him if he couldn't do that WonkyFaint thing –"**

"WonkyFaint thing!?" Ron gasped, looking at her with an open mouth and an incredulous look. "How can you remember all sort of facts but you can't remember the Wronski Feint?"

"Sorry Ron, it's just not something that I need to remember," Hermione informed him.

"Well does it help if I told you that Josef Wronski was the one that came up with it in a game in 1786 …"

"Ron, why would that help me?" Hermione asked.

"You remember facts don't you?" Ron questioned. "Well I'm giving you some."

"It's not going to help," Hermione sighed.

"**Wronski Feint," said Harry,** **through gritted teeth. Quite apart from liking to get Quidditch terms correct, it caused him another pang to imagine Ron's expression if he could have heard Hermione talking about Wonky-Faints.**

"I can see why that made you feel a pang, it wasn't a very pretty expression," Fred teased.

**It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up. The days until the first task seemed to slip by as though someone had fixed the clocks to work at double speed. Harry's feeling of barely controlled panic was with him wherever he went, as everpresent as the snide comments about the Daily Prophet article.**

**On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. Hermione told Harry that it would do him good to get away from the castle for a bit, and Harry didn't need much persuasion.**

"Well at least you're not making me stay in the library the whole weekend," Harry commented.

"You do know you can decide where you spend your weekend on your own?" Ginny pointed out.

Harry shrugged, he didn't often choose what he did as it was easier to go with the flow.

"**What about Ron, though?" he said. "Don't you want to go with him?"**

"**Oh … well …" Hermione went slightly pink.** "**I thought we might meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks …"**

"**No," said Harry flatly.**

"You didn't actually think that would work, did you?" Ginny asked her.

"No, but it would have been nice," Hermione sighed.

"So this means I don't get to see you at all," Ron groaned, "aren't you supposed to be splitting your time between us."

Hermione rolled her eyes at that.

"**Oh Harry, this is so stupid –"**

"**I'll come, but I'm not meeting Ron, and I'm wearing my Invisibility Cloak."**

"**Oh all right then …" Hermione snapped, "but I hate talking to you in that cloak, I never know if I'm looking at you or not."**

"I'll give you a hint, you're almost never looking at me," Harry answered.

"It's best not to even bother trying," Remus advised, having experienced the same thing.

**So Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak in the dormitory, went back downstairs, and together he and Hermione set off for Hogsmeade.**

**Harry felt wonderfully free under the cloak; he watched other students walking past them as they entered the village, most of them sporting Support Cedric Diggory! badges, but no horrible remarks came his way for a change, and nobody was quoting that stupid article.**

"Maybe I should have worn my cloak in the halls," Harry mumbled to himself.

"**People keep looking at me now," said Hermione grumpily as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating large cream-filled chocolates. "They think I'm talking to myself."**

"**Don't move your lips so much then."**

"Oh what a helpful answer that is," Hermione grumbled as the others in the room chuckled.

"What else could I say?" Harry asked, looking amused.

"**Come on, please just take off your cloak for a bit, no one's going to bother you here."**

"**Oh yeah?" said Harry. "Look behind you."**

**Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub. Talking in low voices, they passed right by Hermione without looking at her. Harry backed into the wall of Honeydukes to stop Rita Skeeter from hitting him with her crocodile-skin handbag. When they were gone, Harry said, "She's staying in the village. I bet she's coming to watch the first task."**

"And I'm sure that's going to cheer me up," Harry grumbled.

**As he said it, his stomach flooded with a wave of molten panic. He didn't mention this; he and Hermione hadn't discussed what was coming in the first task much; he had the feeling she didn't want to think about it.**

"That's probably true," Hermione agreed. "If we had known what the task was, I'm sure we'd be trying to figure out a way to help you get through it. But since we have no idea … I don't see what else can be done."

"**She's gone," said Hermione, looking right through Harry toward the end of the street. "Why don't we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, it's a bit cold, isn't it? You don't have to talk to Ron!" she added irritably, correctly interpreting his silence.**

**The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon, but also with a variety of magical people Harry rarely saw anywhere else. Harry supposed that as Hogsmeade was the only all-wizard village in Britain, it was a bit of a haven for creatures like hags, who were not as adept as wizards at disguising themselves.**

"I don't know, I think Mrs. Ernson might be a hag."

"Duncan!" Juliet snapped. "Don't say that."

"What, she's got the worst teeth I've ever seen," Duncan defended, "and she's got this horrible … er … never mind," he finished weakly as he noticed the glare that Juliet was giving him**.**

**It was very hard to move through crowds in the Invisibility Cloak, in case you accidentally trod on someone, which tended to lead to awkward questions. Harry edged slowly toward a spare table in the corner while Hermione went to buy drinks.**

"You do realize that no one is going to know you're holding the table when you're invisible," Tonks pointed out.

"Er …" was all Harry could say to that.

**On his way through the pub, Harry spotted Ron, who was sitting with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan. Resisting the urge to give Ron a good hard poke in the back of the head, he finally reached the table and sat down at it.**

"Well I'm glad you can resist such a wonderful temptation," Ron grumbled as the twin sighed, "ah, you should have poked him, Harry!"

**Hermione joined him a moment later and slipped him a butterbeer under his cloak.**

"**I look like such an idiot, sitting here on my own," she muttered. "Lucky I brought something to do."**

Ron frowned, he's sure he would have noticed Hermione was there but she didn't seem to have even said hi to him.

**And she pulled out a notebook in which she had been keeping a record of S.P.E.W. members. Harry saw his and Ron's names at the top of the very short list.**

Hermione sighed, she had been trying to listen to the advice Teddy and apparently her future self, but it was still hard to hear how little support that she was getting on this issue.

**It seemed a long time ago that they had sat making up those predictions together, and Hermione had turned up and appointed them secretary and treasurer.**

"**You know, maybe I should try and get some of the villagers involved in S.P.E.W.," Hermione said thoughtfully, looking around the pub.**

"Do you think they would listen?" Hermione asked.

"They might listen but you'll find it hard to convince them to join you," Remus informed her. "Almost no one would even admit there is a problem here - it will take a lot to convince them there is. I think you should take Teddy's advice and look more into the subject and come up with a less invasive way to get people to see the problem."

"**Yeah, right," said Harry. He took a swig of butterbeer under his cloak. "Hermione, when are you going to give up on this spew stuff?"**

Hermione glared at him.

"I get it, you're never going to give up," Harry sighed.

"Why don't you understand that it's such a bad thing?" Hermione asked him.

"I don't really know that much about elves, other than Dobby I've never spoke to one," Harry shrugged.

"**When house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!" she hissed back. "You know, I'm starting to think it's time for more direct action. I wonder how you get into the school kitchens?"**

"**No idea, ask Fred and George," said Harry.**

"Er mate, you probably should have left us out of it," Fred grumbled, seeing that Hermione nodded in agreement to Harry's advice.

**Hermione lapsed into thoughtful silence, while Harry drank his butterbeer, watching the people in the pub. All of them looked cheerful and relaxed. Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot were swapping Chocolate Frog cards at a nearby table; both of them sporting Support Cedric Diggory! badges on their cloaks.**

"They are Hufflepuffs," Neville argued and when the others looked at him oddly, he blushed and said, "well, they are."

"Yeah, we know, but why are you defending them?" Ron asked. "That should have been Tonks's job."

"Hey, he's allowed to say what he wants," Tonks defended. "Clearly he has good instincts."

This defense of him only seemed to make Neville blush even more.

**Right over by the door he saw Cho and a large group of her Ravenclaw friends. She wasn't wearing a Cedric badge though … This cheered up Harry very slightly.**

**What wouldn't he have given to be one of these people, sitting around laughing and talking, with nothing to worry about but homework? He imagined how it would have felt to be here if his name hadn't come out of the Goblet of Fire. He wouldn't be wearing the Invisibility Cloak, for one thing. Ron would be sitting with him. The three of them would probably be happily imagining what deadly dangerous task the school champions would be facing on Tuesday. He'd have been really looking forward to it, watching them do whatever it was … cheering on Cedric with everyone else, safe in a seat at the back of the stands …**

"Aw that would have been nice," Harry sighed.

"And then we might have had a peaceful year," Ron added to that thought.

**He wondered how the other champions were feeling. Every time he had seen Cedric lately, he had been surrounded by admirers and looking nervous but excited. Harry glimpsed Fleur Delacour from time to time in the corridors; she looked exactly as she always did, haughty and unruffled.** **And Krum just sat in the library, poring over books.**

"Harry you should really stop comparing yourself to all of the champions," Sirius admonished. "First of all they haven't had to deal with the extra pressure of having the negative opinions of most the school. Second, as Remus so kindly reminded me last night, they still see this as a game, but it's more to you than that."

"I don't think that's going to make me stop worrying," Harry pointed out.

"No, me neither," Sirius grinned. "But I had to try for both our sakes."

**Harry thought of Sirius, and the tight, tense knot in his chest seemed to ease slightly. He would be speaking to him in just over twelve hours, for tonight was the night they were meeting at the common room fire – assuming nothing went wrong, as everything else had done lately …**

"You so jinxed it," George told Harry.

"That or you just did," Harry countered and George just laughed at that.

"**Look, it's Hagrid!" said Hermione.**

**The back of Hagrid's enormous shaggy head – he had mercifully abandoned his bunches – emerged over the crowd. Harry wondered why he hadn't spotted him at once, as Hagrid was so large, but standing up carefully, he saw that Hagrid had been leaning low, talking to Professor Moody. Hagrid had his usual enormous tankard in front of him, but Moody was drinking from his hip flask.**

"Does he bring that with him?" Harry wondered.

"Nah, there's a mug specially made for him there and in all the pubs in Hogsmeade," Sirius answered.

**Madam Rosmerta, the pretty landlady, didn't seem to think much of this; she was looking askance at Moody as she collected glasses from tables around them. Perhaps she thought it was an insult to her mulled mead, but Harry knew better. Moody had told them all during their last Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson that he preferred to prepare his own food and drink at all times, as it was so easy for Dark wizards to poison an unattended cup.**

"He doesn't even trust Madam Rosmerta?" Sirius blinked, "but she's the best and no way is she's a dark witch!"

"That doesn't mean that someone can't impersonate her, or use a curse on her to make her do what they want," Tonks pointed out. "I do think he's gone a little over board, but Moody has made more enemies than he can count. It's always better to be caution than to be dead."

**As Harry watched, he saw Hagrid and Moody get up to leave. He waved, then remembered that Hagrid couldn't see him. Moody, however, paused, his magical eye on the corner where Harry was standing. He tapped Hagrid in the small of the back (being unable to reach his shoulder), muttered something to him, and then the pair of them made their way back across the pub toward Harry and Hermione's table.**

"**All right, Hermione?" said Hagrid loudly.**

"**Hello," said Hermione, smiling back.**

**Moody limped around the table and bent down; Harry thought he was reading the S.P.E.W. notebook, until he muttered, "Nice cloak, Potter."**

"He can see through the cloak!" Harry gasped.

"Didn't I say that before," Tonks huffed.

"Er … right," Harry blushed.

**Harry stared at him in amazement. The large chunk missing from Moody's nose was particularly obvious at a few inches' distance. Moody grinned.**

"**Can your eye – I mean, can you –?"**

"**Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly. "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you."**

"I can imagine," Sirius snorted. "It's so easy to turn the tables on someone that thinks they have the advantage and don't realize that in fact they don't."

**Hagrid was beaming down at Harry too. Harry knew Hagrid couldn't see him, but Moody had obviously told Hagrid he was there. Hagrid now bent down on the pretext of reading the S.P.E.W. notebook as well, and said in a whisper so low that only Harry could hear it, "Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that cloak."**

"Why would Hagrid what to see you then?" Ron asked, thinking about the meeting Harry had with Sirius and how close that was to this.

"If I'd have a guess I'd go with the title of this chapter," Fred answered, in a tone that made it seem that he thought Ron was slow for not thinking about that. At least that's how Ron took it as he blushed.

"Hm … that makes sense," Sirius frowned thoughtfully, "of course Hagrid would know it right away if …" he swallowed finding it difficult to say the word without thinking about Harry being in danger, but he forced himself to go on, "dragons were involved. It's more important for you to see him than to talk to me, I think."

"Of course there's no way for me to know that in the book," Harry pointed out.

**Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly, "Nice ter see yeh, Hermione," winked, and departed. Moody followed him.**

"Well that was subtle," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"**Why does Hagrid want me to meet him at midnight?" Harry said, very surprised.**

"**Does he?" said Hermione, looking startled. "I wonder what he's up to? I don't know whether you should go, Harry …" She looked nervously around and hissed, "It might make you late for Sirius."**

"We've already went through this Hermione, it's more important for Harry to talk to Hagrid," George argued seriously, as Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

**It was true that going down to Hagrid's at midnight would mean cutting his meeting with Sirius very fine indeed; Hermione suggested sending Hedwig down to Hagrid's to tell him he couldn't go – always assuming she would consent to take the note, of course – Harry, however, thought it better just to be quick at whatever Hagrid wanted him for. He was very curious to know what this might be; Hagrid had never asked Harry to visit him so late at night.**

"Good boy, Harry," Sirius complimented.

"Thanks Sirius," Harry chuckled. "Though I would prefer it if you don't call me a good boy."

**At half past eleven that evening, Harry, who had pretended to go up to bed early, pulled the Invisibility Cloak back over himself and crept back downstairs through the common room. Quite a few people were still in there. The Creevey brothers had managed to get hold of a stack of Support Cedric Diggory! badges and were trying to bewitch them to make them say Support Harry Potter! Instead. So far, however, all they had managed to do was get the badges stuck on POTTER STINKS.**

"That seems about right," Draco sniggered.

"They should just try to make new badges, it's not easy to bewitch something that already has a charm on it," Percy noted.

**Harry crept past them to the portrait hole and waited for a minute or so, keeping an eye on his watch. Then Hermione opened the Fat Lady for him from outside as they had planned. He slipped past her with a whispered "Thanks!" and set off through the castle.**

"So that's what going on when one of you two go out of the common room for a few minutes and then come back in," Neville realized.

"You know it probably would be better for one of you just to leave and then you can go to the library or something," Tonks pointed out. "It might be less noticeable that way."

**The grounds were very dark. Harry walked down the lawn toward the lights shining in Hagrid's cabin. The inside of the enormous Beauxbatons carriage was also lit up; Harry could hear Madame Maxime talking inside it as he knocked on Hagrid's front door.**

"**You there, Harry?" Hagrid whispered, opening the door and looking around.**

"**Yeah," said Harry, slipping inside the cabin and pulling the cloak down off his head. "What's up?"**

"**Got summat ter show yeh," said Hagrid.**

**There was an air of enormous excitement about Hagrid.**

"If I didn't already know it was dragons I might be thinking he got himself another dragon," Harry mumbled.

**He was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole. It looked as though he had abandoned the use of axle grease, but he had certainly attempted to comb his hair – Harry could see the comb's broken teeth tangled in it.**

"That or he was going to see Madame Maxime," Ron added with a snigger.

"**What're you showing me?" Harry said warily, wondering if the skrewts had laid eggs, or Hagrid had managed to buy another giant three-headed dog off a stranger in a pub.**

"He didn't get Fluffy from a stranger in a pub, that was Norbert," Hermione corrected.

"He could have got Fluffy in the pub too," Harry pointed out, "we don't really know how he got him after all."

"How maybe strange people wonder into a pub with dangerous creatures?" Hermione questioned him.

"Maybe more than you'd think if they heard of Hagrid and his liking for, as you put it, dangerous creatures," Ron jumped in. "They might come there just to meet him."

"As interesting as this conversation is, will you let us continue with the story, please," Teddy interrupted as Hermione was about to say something, and closed her mouth and nodded her head.

"**Come with me, keep quiet, an' keep yerself covered with that cloak," said Hagrid. "We won' take Fang, he won' like it …**

"**Listen, Hagrid, I can't stay long … I've got to be back up at the castle by one o'clock – "**

**But Hagrid wasn't listening; he was opening the cabin door and striding off into the night. Harry hurried to follow and found, to his great surprise, that Hagrid was leading him to the Beauxbatons carriage.**

"Which would explain his resent hairstyle choice," Ginny giggled.

"**Hagrid, what – ?"**

"**Shhh!" said Hagrid, and he knocked three times on the door bearing the crossed golden wands.**

**Madame Maxime opened it. She was wearing a silk shawl wrapped around her massive shoulders. She smiled when she saw Hagrid.**

"**Ah, 'Agrid … it is time?"**

"**Bong-sewer," said Hagrid,**

Several people couldn't hide their amusement at Hagrid's attempt to say the good evening, or bonsoir.

**beaming at her, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps.**

**Madame Maxime closed the door behind her, Hagrid offered her his arm, and they set off around the edge of the paddock containing Madame Maxime's giant winged horses, with Harry, totally bewildered, running to keep up with them. Had Hagrid wanted to show him Madame Maxime?**

"I'm sure that's it," George stated sarcastically. "He wanted you to be there with him on his first date with this fair madame."

"Well what was I supposed to think after that," Harry grumbled, it wasn't his book self's fault that he didn't have as much information as the people in the room. If there was no title for this chapter he was sure everyone would be guessing right now what Hagrid was going to show them.

**He could see her any old time he wanted … she wasn't exactly hard to miss … But it seemed that Madame Maxime was in for the same treat as Harry, because after a while she said playfully, "Wair is it you are taking me, 'Agrid?"**

"**Yeh'll enjoy this," said Hagrid gruffly, "worth seein', trust me. On'y – don' go tellin' anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh're not s'posed ter know."**

"Hagrid is one of the worst secret keepers I know," Tonks chuckled. "Charlie always got loads of stuff out of him with just a mention of the dragons he knows about."

Sirius expression darkened at the word secret keeper, he couldn't help but think about the rat and his decision that had gotten his best friend killed. He felt a light pressure on his shoulder and looked up to see Remus with a sad expression, obviously thinking along the same lines as him.

"**Of course not," said Madame Maxime, fluttering her long black eyelashes.**

**And still they walked, Harry getting more and more irritated as he jogged along in their wake, checking his watch every now and then. Hagrid had some harebrained scheme in hand, which might make him miss Sirius. If they didn't get there soon, he was going to turn around, go straight back to the castle, and leave Hagrid to enjoy his moonlit stroll with Madame Maxime.**

**But then – when they had walked so far around the perimeter of the forest that the castle and the lake were out of sight – Harry heard something.**

"They must have put them so far away so no students would notice what's there," Percy noted.

**Men were shouting up ahead … then came a deafening, earsplitting roar … Hagrid led Madame Maxime around a clump of trees and came to a halt. Harry hurried up alongside them – for a split second, he thought he was seeing bonfires, and men darting around them – and then his mouth fell open.**

**Dragons. Four fully grown,**

"Four!" Sirius groaned. "You mean there's more than just the horntail!"

"Apparently," Remus murmured. "Since there's four I imagine there's one for each champion."

"They must have had to get the last one on quick notice, push all the proper paper work through and all that," Percy sighed.

"You're talking about paperwork … when there are dragons … and Harry …." Sirius trailed off, seeming too excited to form his sentence properly.

"I was just saying," Percy mumbled, okay so maybe now wasn't the best time to bring that up, but it was true that having an extra dragon would result in a month's worth of paper work to be filled out.

**enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting – torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks. There was a silvery-blue one with long, pointed horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground; a smooth-scaled green one, which was writhing and stamping with all its might; a red one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around its face, which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air; and a gigantic black one, more lizardlike than the others, which was nearest to them.**

"Wow, they're all different kinds too," Ron whistled. "The last one was the Horntail, but it also sounds like they have a Chinese Fireball, a Common Welsh Green and a Swedish Short Snout."

"You sound like Charlie," Bill informed him. "You really know you dragons."

"Maybe we'll have another dragon trainer in the family," Fred figured.

"No, please no," Molly moaned.

"I'm not going to a dragon trainer," Ron defended, "I just like it when Charlie talks about them …"

"And you can name them with only the minimum details given," Ginny pointed out.

"Whatever," Ron grumbled.

**At least thirty wizards, seven or eight to each dragon, were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs. Mesmerized, Harry looked up, high above him, and saw the eyes of the black dragon, with vertical pupils like a cat's, bulging with either fear or rage, he couldn't tell which … It was making a horrible noise, a yowling, screeching scream.**

"**Keep back there, Hagrid!" yelled a wizard near the fence, straining on the chain he was holding. "They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know! I've seen this Horntail do forty!"**

"**Is'n' it beautiful?" said Hagrid softly.**

"I might agree with him if things weren't the way they were right now," Sirius grumbled.

"I might agree with him if I hadn't had an up close and personal encounter with Norbert," Ron added his own thoughts.

"**It's no good!" yelled another wizard. "Stunning Spells, on the count of three!"**

**Harry saw each of the dragon keepers pull out his wand.**

"**Stupefy!" they shouted in unison, and the Stunning Spells shot into the darkness like fiery rockets, bursting in showers of stars on the dragons' scaly hides – Harry watched the dragon nearest to them teeter dangerously on its back legs; its jaws stretched wide in a silent howl; its nostrils were suddenly devoid of flame, though still smoking – then, very slowly, it fell. Several ****tons of sinewy, scalyblack dragon hit the ground with a thud that Harry could have sworn made the trees behind him quake.**

**The dragon keepers lowered their wands and walked forward to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of a small hill. They hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands.**

"Do they always chain down dragons like that?" Ginny asked.

"Of course not," Tonks answered. "Do you think Charlie would stand it to see those 'beautiful' creatures chained? It must be because they're at Hogwarts … you don't really want dragons flying around the place."

"**Wan' a closer look?" Hagrid asked Madame Maxime excitedly. The pair of them moved right up to the fence, and Harry followed. The wizard who had warned Hagrid not to come any closer turned, and Harry realized who it was: Charlie Weasley.**

"So this is what he meant when he said he would be at school for part of it," Hermione mumbled thinking of what Charlie had said when they had got on the train. _I supposed it should have been obvious then what the first task was going to be._

"**All right, Hagrid?" he panted, coming over to talk. "They should be okay now – we put them out with a Sleeping Draft on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet – but, like you saw, they weren't happy, not happy at all –"**

"**What breeds you got here, Charlie?" said Hagrid,**

"Hagrid doesn't know that?" Ron blinked.

"Looks like you're even more into dragons then Hagrid is," Fred blinked. "Now that is a scary thought."

Ron just rolled his eyes.

**gazing at the closest dragon, the black one, with something chose to reverence. Its eyes were still just open. Harry could see a strip of gleaming yellow beneath its wrinkled black eyelid.**

"**This is a Hungarian Horntail," said Charlie. "There's a Common Welsh Green over there, the smaller one — a Swedish Short-Snout, that blue-gray — and a Chinese Fireball, that's the red."**

**Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the stunned dragons.**

"**I didn't know you were bringing her, Hagrid," Charlie said, frowning. "The champions aren't supposed to know what's coming – she's bound to tell her student, isn't she?"**

"You mean the other heads of their school didn't know what the first task was going to be?" Hermione questioned. "Does Dumbledore?"

"Well in this case he would have to," Arthur answered this time. "You can't bring a fully grown dragon into Hogwarts without the Headmaster knowing."

"No, it's only dragon eggs you can do that with," Ron snorted, again thinking about Norbert.

"Isn't that a bit unfair?" Hermione asked. "That Dumbledore would know but the other two don't?"

"Well, it's sort of like Charlie said," Bill answered this time, "she's probably going to tell her champion, Fleur, about the dragons, but Dumbledore wouldn't … at least he hasn't done it yet for Harry, and he probably already knows about them now."

"Then I wish Dumbledore was a bit more like their headmasters," Sirius complained, "he should have warned Harry by now."

"**Jus' thought she'd like ter see 'em," shrugged Hagrid, still gazing, enraptured, at the dragons.**

"**Really romantic date, Hagrid," said Charlie, shaking his head.**

"Like he's one to talk, I bet he brings girls to the reservation all the time," George rolled his eyes.

"**Four …" said Hagrid, "so it's one fer each o' the champions, is it? What've they gotta do – fight 'em?"**

"**Just get past them, I think," said Charlie. "We'll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don't know why …**

"That can't be good," Juliet groaned, "nesting mothers have to be more violent than normal dragons …"

"Yes, I would imagine so," Remus sighed.

**but I tell you this, I don't envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back end's as dangerous as its front, look."**

Harry's gut clinched for a reason he couldn't explain.

**Charlie pointed toward the Horntail's tail, and Harry saw long, bronze-colored spikes protruding along it every few inches.**

**Five of Charlie's fellow keepers staggered up to the Horntail at that moment, carrying a clutch of huge granite-gray eggs between them in a blanket. They placed them carefully at the Horntail's side. Hagrid let out a moan of longing.**

"**I've got them counted, Hagrid," said Charlie sternly.**

Several people laughed at that warning, knowing that Hagrid would love to have a dragon egg, even after what happened with Norbert … or maybe even more so because of that.

**Then he said, "How's Harry?"**

"**Fine," said Hagrid. He was still gazing at the eggs.**

"**Just hope he's still fine after he's faced this lot," said Charlie grimly, looking out over the dragons' enclosure. "I didn't dare tell Mum what he's got to do for the first task; she's already having kittens about him …"**

"Mum … I didn't know you could have kittens!" Fred went wide eyed. "I would have liked that instead of this lot," he nodded his head towards Ron and Ginny, who both glared daggers at him.

**Charlie imitated his mother's anxious voice. "How could they let him enter that tournament, he's much too young! I thought they were all safe, I thought there was going to be an age limit! She was in floods after that Daily Prophet article about him. 'He still cries about his parents! Oh bless him, I never knew!'"**

Molly turned as red as she mumbled something about how was she supposed to know it wasn't true.

**Harry had had enough. Trusting to the fact that Hagrid wouldn't miss him, with the attractions of four dragons and Madame Maxime to occupy him, he turned silently and began to walk away, back to the castle.**

"Really, I don't think that would be enough to distract Hagrid," Ginny snorted sarcastically. "He might need a few of his blast-ended-skrewt to make him really happy."

**He didn't know whether he was glad he'd seen what was coming or not.**

"Are you kidding me, as terrifying as this is, it's much better to see them now than for the first time while in the task," Sirius countered. "What the hell were they thinking when they thought it was a good idea to have dragons as a surprise?!"

"The tasks are designed to be difficult," Arthur explained, "they always have been."

Sirius drew a breath, he knew that Arthur was right … he had grown up with stories about the tournament after all and this seemed to go along with many of the task he had heard about.

**Perhaps this way was better. The first shock was over now. Maybe if he'd seen the dragons for the first time on Tuesday, he would have passed out cold in front of the whole school …**

Draco laughed at that thought.

"As if you wouldn't have done the same …" Harry glared.

"Probably would have pissed himself first," Ron added.

"You seem to be talking about yourself, Weasel," Draco defended, his cheeks pink with his embarrassment.

**but maybe he would anyway … He was going to be armed with his wand – which, just now, felt like nothing more than a narrow strip of wood — against a fifty-foot-high, scaly, spike-ridden, fire-breathing dragon. And he had to get past it. With everyone watching. How?**

"That is the question," Tonks murmured looking thoughtful.

"It's best not to think about how he's going to do it," Bill stated reasonably. "No point to waste our time trying to figure it out when the book would tell us quickly enough."

"What happened to the Bill that loved solving problems?" Tonks questioned him.

Bill chuckled, "the problem before me was never so dangerous and life threatening."

"Plus it won't really help anyone if we figured something out," Percy pointed out.

**Harry sped up, skirting the edge of the forest; he had just under fifteen minutes to get back to the fireside and talk to Sirius, and he couldn't remember, ever, wanting to talk to someone more than he did right now — when, without warning, he ran into something very solid.**

**Harry fell backward, his glasses askew, clutching the cloak around him. A voice nearby said, "Ouch! Who's there?"**

**Harry hastily checked that the cloak was covering him and hay very still, staring up at the dark outline of the wizard he had hit. He recognized the goatee … it was Karkaroff.**

"Of course it would be him," Arthur sighed.

"Harry, get out of there, I don't want you to be alone with only that guy around," Sirius commanded darkly.

"I'm pretty sure I'm trying to get out of here now," Harry assured him.

"**Who's there?" said Karkaroff again, very suspiciously, looking around in the darkness. Harry remained still and silent. After a minute or so, Karkaroff seemed to decide that he had hit some sort of animal; he was looking around at waist height, as though expecting to see a dog. Then he crept back under the cover of the trees and started to edge forward toward the place where the dragons were.**

**Very slowly and very carefully, Harry got to his feet and set off again as fast as he could without making too much noise, hurrying through the darkness back toward Hogwarts.**

**He had no doubt whatsoever what Karkaroff was up to. He had sneaked off his ship to try and find out what the first task was going to be. He might even have spotted Hagrid and Madame Maxime heading off around the forest together – they were hardly difficult to spot at a distance … and now all Karkaroff had to do was follow the sound of voices, and he, like Madame Maxime, would know what was in store for the champions.**

"But why would he have thought they were looking at what was going to be in the first task?" Ron questioned with narrowed eyes. "I mean Hagrid could have just been going on a stroll with Madame Maxime."

"At midnight?" Fred questioned in a doubtful tone.

"Well that is a bit late, but I'm sure there's all kinds of creatures Hagrid's would think is interesting that are nocturnal," Ron shrugged. "Besides what I'm saying is that he couldn't have known it was about the task."

"Maybe he just thought he's take a look when he saw them together," George argued. "Just in case."

**By the looks of it, the only champion who would be facing the unknown on Tuesday was Cedric.**

Tonks grimaced, "that didn't seem fair at all."

**Harry reached the castle, slipped in through the front doors, and began to climb the marble stairs; he was very out of breath, but he didn't dare slow down … He had less than five minutes to get up to the fire.**

"**Balderdash!" he gasped at the Fat Lady, who was snoozing in her frame in front of the portrait hole.**

"**If you say so," she muttered sleepily, without opening her eyes, and the picture swung forward to admit him. Harry climbed inside. The common room was deserted, and, judging by the fact that it smelled quite normal, Hermione had not needed to set off any Dungbombs to ensure that he and Sirius got privacy.**

"Well that's good," Harry breathed with relief.

"I guess you didn't need our services today," Fred sighed.

**Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and threw himself into an armchair in front of the fire. The room was in semidarkness; the flames were the only source of light. Nearby, on a table, the Support Cedric Diggory! badges the Creeveys had been trying to improve were glinting in the firelight. They now read POTTER REALLY STINKS.**

Several people laughed at that (others smiled), though Draco was the only one to do it cruelly.

**Harry looked back into the flames, and jumped. Sirius's head was sitting in the fire. If Harry hadn't seen Mr. Diggory do exactly this back in the Weasleys' kitchen, it would have scared him out of his wits.**

"Maybe I should have given you a bit of a warning about that," Sirius chuckled.

"I don't know how you could have without telling Harry, and you wouldn't have wanted that in a letter," Remus pointed out. "Let's just be grateful that he did see Mr. Diggory's head before."

**Instead, his face breaking into the first smile he had worn for days, he scrambled out of his chair, crouched down by the hearth, and said, "Sirius - how're you doing?"**

**Sirius looked different from Harry's memory of him. When they had said goodbye, Sirius's face had been gaunt and sunken, surrounded by a quantity of long, black, matted hair – but the hair was short and clean now, Sirius's face was fuller, and he looked younger, much more like the only photograph Harry had of him, which had been taken at the Potters' wedding.**

"I'm glad to hear that," Remus whispered, looking at his friend. Sirius did have shorter hair but he still looked a bit sunken. Still Sirius looked a lot better than he did even a day ago when he first arrived here … maybe in a few more days he might even look healthy.

"**Never mind me, how are you?" said Sirius seriously.**

"**I'm –" For a second, Harry tried to say "fine" – but he couldn't do it. Before he could stop himself, he was talking more than he'd talked in days – about how no one believed he hadn't entered the tournament of his own free will, how Rita Skeeter had lied about him in the Daily Prophet, how he couldn't walk down a corridor without being sneered at – and about Ron, Ron not believing him, Ron's jealousy …**

Sirius smiled sadly, it was nice hearing how open Harry seemed to be with him, pouring out the emotions he usually tried to hold in. He was glad he was able to be there for his godson.

"… **and now Hagrid's just shown me what's coming in the first task, and it's dragons, Sirius, and I'm a goner," he finished desperately.**

**Sirius looked at him, eyes full of concern, eyes that had not yet lost the look that Azkaban had given them – that deadened, haunted look. He had let Harry talk himself into silence without interruption, but now he said, "Dragons we can deal with, Harry, but we'll get to that in a minute**

"What do you mean we'll get to that in a minute?!" Sirius demanded.

"Er … you do know that you're the one that said that … right?" Teddy cautiously questioned, as he was holding the book, he was the one being yelled at right now.

"Yes I am aware of that," Sirius grumbled, though his expression suggested otherwise. "But …"

"Whatever it is you want to tell Harry, it must be important," Remus supplied. "You know how you get when you have something important to share."

– **I haven't got long here … I've broken into a wizarding house to use the fire, but they could be back at any time. There are things I need to warn you about."**

"**What?" said Harry, feeling his spirits slip a further few notches … Surely there could be nothing worse than dragons coming?**

"**Karkaroff," said Sirius.**

"Oh," Sirius deflated, he had already warned this Harry about that, so he hadn't thought about it. He guessed that was something Harry should know, though the dragon issue seemed more important at the current moment.

**"Harry, he was a Death Eater. You know what Death Eaters are, don't you?"**

"**Yes - he - what?"**

"**He was caught, he was in Azkaban with me, but he got released. I'd bet everything that's why Dumbledore wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year – to keep an eye on him. Moody caught Karkaroff. Put him into Azkaban in the first place."**

"**Karkaroff got released?" Harry said slowly – his brain seemed to be struggling to absorb yet another piece of shocking information. "Why did they release him?"**

"**He did a deal with the Ministry of Magic," said Sirius bitterly. "He said he'd seen the error of his ways, and then he named names … he put a load of other people into Azkaban in his place … He's not very popular in there, I can tell you. And since he got out, from what I can tell, he's been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through that school of his. So watch out for the Durmstrang champion as well."**

"You don't think Krum is bad do you?" Ron asked, looking at Sirius.

"I don't know," Sirius answered honestly. "He doesn't seem so bad, but some are able to act like they're a good guy and not actually be one. Still, I'd imagine he's not so bad."

"**Okay," said Harry slowly. "But … are you saying Karkaroff put my name in the goblet? Because if he did, he's a really good actor. He seemed furious about it. He wanted to stop me from competing."**

"**We know he's a good actor," said Sirius, "because he convinced the Ministry of Magic to set him free, didn't he?**

"Not that it was that difficult," Arthur argued hotly, his ear turning in anger. "It was the names that did it. They also knew that Karkaroff couldn't become a death Eater again. But they forgave him for all his crimes because they'd rather have the bigger fish. It was ridiculous."

"Do you think it was him? Did he put my name in the goblet?" Harry asked the room.

"Dad just said it, he can't go back to the Death Eaters, not after he betrayed half of them," Bill shook his head.

"You-know-who also mentioned a loyal servant," Tonks pointed out. "It seems unlikely he would be talking about a man that had betrayed him."

"I still wonder who that servant is," Sirius grimaced; it was a puzzle that he couldn't seem to figure out. Either Voldemort's faithful servants were in Azkaban, where he couldn't have gotten them out, or he was talking about someone that had denounced him, which Voldemort wouldn't consider to be faithful.

"Yes," there were a few that agreed with him as they were thinking the same thing.

"But we still don't have any new clues," Percy grumbled. "Though I guess that we've ruled Karkaroff out."

"I wouldn't rule him out," Tonks countered. "Never rule anyone out or you'll find yourself in a trap. I just think the possibilities are slim."

**Now, I've been keeping an eye on the Daily Prophet, Harry …"**

"**- you and the rest of the world," said Harry bitterly.**

"**- and reading between the lines of that Skeeter woman's article last month, Moody was attacked the night before he started at Hogwarts. Yes, I know she says it was another false alarm," Sirius said hastily, seeing Harry about to speak, "but I don't think so, somehow. I think someone tried to stop him from getting to Hogwarts. I think someone knew their job would be a lot more difficult with him around. And no one's going to look into it too closely; Mad-Eye's heard intruders a bit too often. But that doesn't mean he can't still spot the real thing. Moody was the best Auror the Ministry ever had."**

"I didn't realize you thought so highly of him," Tonks commented with amusement.

"Of course I do," Sirius replied. "I trust Harry's safety to him … or at least I feel safe enough with him keeping watch."

If anyone was looking at Teddy at that moment they would have seen him clutch the book tightly, so tightly that his knuckles turn white. _If only he knew who Moody was …_

"That's true," Tonks nodded, "though I think Moody would have liked the fact that you were looking closely at the signs than praising him so much."

"Probably," Sirius shrugged.

"**So … what are you saying?" said Harry slowly. "Karkaroff's trying to kill me? But – why?"**

**Sirius hesitated.**

"**I've been hearing some very strange things," he said slowly. "The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately. They showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup, didn't they? Someone set off the Dark Mark … and then – did you hear about that Ministry of Magic witch who's gone missing?"**

"**Bertha Jorkins?" said Harry.**

"**Exactly … she disappeared in Albania, and that's definitely where Voldemort was rumored to be last … and she would have known the Triwizard Tournament was coming up, wouldn't she?"**

"How do you know where You-Know-Who is rumored to be?" Percy asked startled by that information.

"Dumbledore told me," Sirius sighed. "He said it best that I don't go near there as it would do no good if I was caught by Voldemort."

"**Yeah, but … it's not very likely she'd have walked straight into Voldemort, is it?" said Harry.**

"No, she walked into the rat," Sirius growled.

"**Listen, I knew Bertha Jorkins," said Sirius grimly. "She was at Hogwarts when I was, a few years above your dad and me. And she was an idiot. Very nosy, but no brains, none at all. It's not a good combination, Harry. I'd say she'd be very easy to lure into a trap."**

"**So … so Voldemort could have found out about the tournament?" said Harry. "Is that what you mean? You think Karkaroff might be here on his orders?"**

"Hm … I don't like how much sense what you just said, minus the Karkaroff part," Sirius moaned. "This must have been part of what Voldemort was planning in the beginning of the book. I just wish we would see his endgame."

Ron looked at Sirius, all of this was getting much too real, but the word endgame made him think about chess … was that what was going on right now? One giant game of wizard chess with live wizards as pieces?

"**I don't know," said Sirius slowly, "I just don't know … Karkaroff doesn't strike me as the type who'd go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him. But whoever put your name in that goblet did it for a reason, and I can't help thinking the tournament would be a very good way to attack you and make it look like an accident."**

"Not so much an accident, but I suppose it hides the blame," Tonks grimaced.

"**Looks like a really good plan from where I'm standing," said Harry grinning bleaky. "They'll just have to stand back and let the dragons do their stuff."**

"**Right – these dragons," said Sirius, speaking very quickly now. "There's a way, Harry. Don't be tempted to try a Stunning Spell –**

"Don't think I'd try that after what I saw in the clearing," Harry mumbled.

**dragons are strong and too powerfully magical to be knocked out by a single Stunner, you need about half a dozen wizards at a time to overcome a dragon – "**

"**Yeah, I know, I just saw," said Harry.**

"**But you can do it alone," said Sirius. "There is away, and a simple spell's all you need. Just – "**

**But Harry held up a hand to silence him, his heart suddenly pounding as though it would burst. He could hear footsteps coming down the spiral staircase behind him.**

"Oh Bloody Hell! This is the worse effing time possible!" Ron groaned impatiently.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Do you know what the spell would be?"

"A simple spell … for a dragon?" Sirius murmured looking thoughtful. Obviously he had thought about it in the book, so he should be able to figure out what he was thinking. "Oh … I got it," he said excitedly, "attack the dragons weakest spot … it's eyes."

There were sounds of agreement and a listing of a few spell that would work for that.

"I thought we weren't going to guess what Harry was going to do?" Percy pointed out.

"We're not, we're guessing what Sirius was going to suggest Harry was going to do, if you want to be technical about it," Fred pointed out.

"**Go!" he hissed at Sirius. "Go! There's someone coming!"**

**Harry scrambled to his feet, hiding the fire – if someone saw Sirius's face within the walls of Hogwarts, they would raise an almighty uproar – the Ministry would get dragged in – he, Harry, would be questioned about Sirius's whereabouts – Harry heard a tiny pop! in the fire behind him and knew Sirius had gone. He watched the bottom of the spiral staircase. Who had decided to go for a stroll at one o'clock in the morning, and stopped Sirius from telling him how to get past a dragon? It was Ron.**

"Oh Bloody Hell, of course it was me!" Ron groaned, tossing his hands up in frustration, which actually caused the others to laugh.

"You need to work on your timing, mate," Harry sighed.

"You're telling me," Ron agreed. "The worst part is, I probably only went down there because I was wondering where you were."

"Trying to make sure I'm okay," Harry asked, almost laughing.

"Well, you know, just because I'm angry, doesn't mean I can't care too," Ron shrugged.

"Aw, this is a nice bonding moment for you two, but can we get on with the book now," George teased.

**Dressed in his maroon paisley pajamas, Ron stopped dead facing** **Harry across the room, and looked around.**

"**Who were you talking to?" he said.**

"**What's that got to do with you?" Harry snarled. "What are you doing down here at this time of night?"**

"**I just wondered where you – " Ron broke off, shrugging. "Nothing. I'm going back to bed."**

"Yep, Ronniekins was definitely worried about you," Fred snickered.

"**Just thought you'd come nosing around, did you?" Harry shouted. He knew that Ron had no idea what he'd walked in on, knew he hadn't done it on purpose, but he didn't care – at this moment he hated everything about Ron, right down to the several inches of bare ankle showing beneath his pajama trousers.**

Ron eyes widened at that, he knew this was bad, horrible really, but for Harry to hate everything about him …

"I'm upset about your timing, I don't really hate you," Harry explained.

"**Sorry about that," said Ron, his face reddening with anger. "Should've realized you didn't want to be disturbed. I'll let you get on with practicing for your next interview in peace."**

"That's a good comeback Ronnie," George sniggered.

**Harry seized one of the POTTER REALLY STINKS badges off the table and chucked it, as hard as he could, across the room. It hit Ron on the forehead and bounced off.**

"**There you go," Harry said. "Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a scar now, if you're lucky … That's what you want, isn't it?"**

"No, I don't need any scars on my forehead thank you very much, I'd much prefer it if they were on my arms," Ron huffed haughtily.

**He strode across the room toward the stairs; he half expected Ron to stop him, he would even have liked Ron to throw a punch at him, but Ron just stood there in his too-small pajamas, and Harry, having stormed upstairs, lay awake in bed fuming for a long time afterward and didn't hear him come up to bed.**

"Oh Ron, you really shouldn't stay up so late," Molly worried.

"Yeah, because that's the biggest issue I'm dealing with," Ron grumbled under his breath.

**"That's the end of the chapter," Teddy said, giving the book to Remus.**


	21. The First Task

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty One

The First Task

"**I figured this would be it," **Remus sighed as he looked at the title and then read it, "The First Task."

The tension in the air was getting even thicker than it was just moments ago. Though everyone had known this moment had to come, it didn't seem as real until they were face with the actually task.

**Harry got up on Sunday morning and dressed so inattentively that it was a while before he realized he was trying to pull his hat onto his foot instead of his sock. **

The twins sniggered and a few other smiled, but no one felt like commenting.

**When he'd finally got all his clothes on the right parts of his body, he hurried off to find Hermione, locating her at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, where she was eating breakfast with Ginny. Feeling too queasy to eat, Harry waited until Hermione had swallowed her last spoonful of porridge, then dragged her out onto the grounds. **

"It was nice of you to let her eat first, I'm sure she won't be hungry after you finish telling her about the dragons," George said.

**There, he told her all about the dragons, and about everything Sirius had said, while they took another long walk around the lake. **

"And you wonder why people would think you two are together with all these long walks you're having," Fred said.

**Alarmed as she was by Sirius's warnings about Karkaroff, Hermione still thought that the dragons were the more pressing problem. **

"Seeing as it's Sunday and the first task is on Tuesday, I'd agree with you," Sirius said, not really caring at all that he was disagreeing with his book self. Really he was a little angry at himself for not saying the spell about the dragons first and then went onto the next issue.

"**Let's just try and keep you alive until Tuesday evening," she said desperately, "and then we can worry about Karkaroff." **

**They walked three times around the lake, trying all the way to think of a simple spell that would subdue a dragon. **

"Hm … the spells we came up with wouldn't really subdue the dragon," Remus noted.

"In fact, they'll probably enrage it," Tonks said.

"And that's a spell that I should use," Harry questioned, enraging a dragon doesn't sound like such a good thing to him. He did understand that the spells were designed to blind the dragon though, and that was something he could use.

**Nothing whatsoever occurred to them, so they retired to the library instead. Here, Harry pulled down every book he could find on dragons, and both of them set to work searching through the large pile. **

"**Talon-clipping by charms … treating scale-rot … This is no good, this is for nutters like Hagrid who want to keep them healthy …"**

"I didn't know you thought Hagrid was a nutter," Fred said.

"He can be about his creatures," Harry shrugged.

"**Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate … ' But Sirius said a simple one would do it …" **

"Keep reading that book," Sirius suggested. "At least it's talking about slaying a dragon. It might list it's weaker spots and then you'll know at least where you should aim."

"**Let's try some simple spellbooks, then," said Harry, throwing aside Men Who Love Dragons Too Much. **

"No Harry … didn't you just hear what I said!" Sirius grumbled, of course knowing that Harry couldn't possibly hear him but it was really frustrating listening to Harry struggle and not be able to do anything to help him.

"Well I can, but I don't think that Harry can," Harry answered him with a small smile.

**He returned to the table with a pile of spellbooks, set them down, and began to flick through each in turn, Hermione whispering nonstop at his elbow. **

Harry sighed.

"What?" Hermione frowned at his reaction.

"Nothing …" Harry said quickly and then added when he realize that she wasn't going to let this go, "it's just that when you do something like that it tends to just make me more nervous."

"**Well, there are Switching Spells … but what's the point of Switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums or something that would make it less dangerous … The trouble is, like that book said, not much is going to get through a dragon's hide … I'd say Transfigure it, but something that big, you really haven't got a hope, I doubt even Professor McGonagall … unless you're supposed to put the spell on yourself? Maybe to give yourself extra powers? But they're not simple spells, I mean, we haven't done any of those in class, I only know about them because I've been doing O.W.L. practice papers …" **

"**Hermione," Harry said, through gritted teeth, "will you shut up for a bit, please? I m trying to concentrate." **

"I get you're nervous, but you don't have to be so rude," Hermione grumbled.

"Sorry," Harry sighed.

**But all that happened, when Hermione fell silent, was that Harry's brain filled with a sort of blank buzzing, which didn't seem to allow room for concentration. He stared hopelessly down the index of Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed. Instant scalping … but dragons had no hair … pepper breath … that would probably increase a dragon's firepower … **

"Actually that one wouldn't be so bad," Ron said thoughtfully, "though more dangerous, I'm not sure the dragon would aim much and instead just fire randomly."

"And that's not so bad?" Harry questioned his friend.

"Well … it sounded better in my head," Ron admitted.

**horn tongue … just what he needed, to give it an extra weapon … **

"**Oh no, he's back again, why can't he read on his stupid ship?" said Hermione irritably as Viktor ****Krum slouched in, cast a surly look over at the pair of them, and settled himself in a distant corner with a pile of books. "Come on, Harry, we'll go back to the common room … his fan club'll be here in a moment, twittering away … " **

**And sure enough, as they left the library, a gang of girls tiptoed past them, one of them wearing a Bulgaria scarf tied around her waist. **

**Harry barely slept that night. When he awoke on Monday morning, he seriously considered for the first time ever just running away from Hogwarts. **

"No, you can't run away," Sirius said, thinking about the binding contract, not sure what it would do, he wasn't sure how nervous he should be, but it couldn't be good whatever happened.

"I'm not going to run," Harry assured him.

**But as he looked around the Great Hall at breakfast time, and thought about what leaving the castle would mean, he knew he couldn't do it. It was the only place he had ever been happy … well, he supposed he must have been happy with his parents too, but he couldn't remember that. **

"I'm sorry you can't remember that," Remus said with a long sigh, "but yes, you were very happy with them."

"And us too," Sirius added. "And we'll make sure you have a happy home outside of Hogwarts someday again in the future."

"Thanks," Harry said smiling at him.

**Somehow, the knowledge that he would rather be here and facing a dragon than back on Privet Drive with Dudley was good to know; it made him feel slightly calmer. He finished his bacon with difficulty (his throat wasn't working too well), and as he and Hermione got up, he saw Cedric Diggory leaving the Hufflepuff table. **

**Cedric still didn't know about the dragons … the only champion who didn't, if Harry was right in thinking that Maxime and Karkaroff would have told Fleur and Krum … **

"Which I'm sure they have," Remus said though he wasn't the only one to make that comment or one very much like it.

"**Hermione, I'll see you in the greenhouses," Harry said, coming to his decision as he watched Cedric leaving the Hall. "Go on, I'll catch you up." **

"**Harry, you'll be late, the bell's about to ring – " **

"**I'll catch you up, okay?" **

**By the time Harry reached the bottom of the marble staircase, Cedric was at the top. **

"You are going to tell him," Tonks said cheerfully, she had thought so as soon as it mentioned Cedric but didn't want to say it before now.

"Well … he's the only one that doesn't know … that doesn't seem fair," Harry muttered.

"That is very Hufflepuff like thing for you to do," Tonks said, still cheerful.

"Nah, he's just being a noble git," Ron said. "He likes to do things like that."

**He was with a load of sixth-year friends. Harry didn't want to talk to Cedric in front of them; they were among those who had been quoting Rita Skeeter's article at him every time he went near them. **

"That's not very Hufflepuff like," Fred complained in an overly upset voice and looked at Tonks.

"No … it's not," she agreed, "but they seem to be Cedric's close friends, they're probably being mad on his behalf."

**He followed Cedric at a distance and saw that he was heading toward the Charms corridor. This gave Harry an idea. Pausing at a distance from them, he pulled out his wand, and took careful aim. **

"**Diffindo!" **

**Cedric's bag split. Parchment, quills, and books spilled out of it onto the floor. Several bottles of ink smashed. **

"That's not the nicest way to get his attention," George said laughing. "I like it."

"**Don't bother," said Cedric in an exasperated voice as his friends bent down to help him. "Tell Flitwick I'm coming, go on …" **

**This was exactly what Harry had been hoping for. He slipped his wand back into his robes, waited until Cedric's friends had disappeared into their classroom, and hurried up the corridor, which was now empty of everyone but himself and Cedric. **

"**Hi," said Cedric, picking up a copy of A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration that was now splattered with ink. "My bag just split … brand-new and all …" **

"You know you could have just asked to talk to him," Tonks pointed out.

"I didn't want to deal with his friends," Harry said.

"So you thought breaking his bag and making a mess was better," Fred chuckled, "which I agree with of course."

"**Cedric," said Harry, "the first task is dragons." **

"**What?" said Cedric, looking up. **

"**Dragons," said Harry, speaking quickly, in case Professor Flitwick came out to see where Cedric had got to. "They've got four, one for each of us, and we've got to get past them." **

"Hm … I'm not sure Krum knows that last bit you told him," George said, "You better go break his bag next."

Harry just rolled his eyes at him.

**Cedric stared at him. Harry saw some of the panic he'd been feeling since Saturday night flickering in Cedric's gray eyes. **

"**Are you sure?" Cedric said in a hushed voice. **

"**Dead sure," said Harry. "I've seen them." **

"**But how did you find out? We're not supposed to know …" **

"He probably thinks you're cheating again," Ron said.

"I didn't cheat," Harry said incredulously.

"Well sort of cheated, sneaking out at night and finding dragons," Fred said.

"I didn't know what Hagrid was showing me," Harry pointed out, though if he was being honest he was sure even his book self thought it had something to do with the first task.

"**Never mind," said Harry quickly – he knew Hagrid would be in trouble if he told the truth. ****"But I'm not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum will know by now – Maxime and Karkaroff both saw the dragons too." **

**Cedric straightened up, his arms full of inky quills, parchment, and books, his ripped bag dangling off one shoulder. He stared at Harry, and there was a puzzled, almost suspicious look in his eyes. **

"**Why are you telling me?" he asked. **

"Well that's some thanks," Fred said. "I say don't bother warning the guy next time."

"He just heard he was going to face a dragon, he's got to be a little rattled," Tonks defended.

**Harry looked at him in disbelief. He was sure Cedric wouldn't have asked that if he had seen the dragons himself. Harry wouldn't have let his worst enemy face those monsters unprepared – well, perhaps Malfoy or Snape … **

Several people sniggered at that as Draco rolled his eyes.

"**It's just … fair, isn't it?" he said to Cedric. "We all know now … we're on an even footing, aren't we?" **

**Cedric was still looking at him in a slightly suspicious way when Harry heard a familiar clunking noise behind him. He turned around and saw Mad-Eye Moody emerging from a nearby classroom. **

"**Come with me, Potter," he growled. "Diggory, off you go." **

"Uh-oh, someone is in trouble," Fred said.

"He's not going to put me in detention or anything," Harry said, he didn't really need the extra stress of a detention to go along with everything else he had to do.

**Harry stared apprehensively at Moody. Had he overheard them? **

"**Er – Professor, I'm supposed to be in Herbology – " **

"**Never mind that, Potter. In my office, please …"**

**Harry followed him, wondering what was going to happen to him now. What if Moody wanted to know how he'd found out about the dragons? Would Moody go to Dumbledore and tell on Hagrid, or just turn Harry into a ferret? **

"Oh don't even say that, you don't want to have anything in common with this git," Fred said nodding his head toward Draco.

"I don't know if Hagrid would get into too much trouble," Remus said, "Dumbledore has a soft spot for him after all."

**Well, it might be easier to get past a dragon if he were a ferret, Harry thought dully, he'd be smaller, much less easy to see from a height of fifty feet … **

"Aw, so that's what you've got to do, get Moody to turn you into a ferret," George said. "That's a simple spell for him."

**He followed Moody into his office. Moody closed the door behind them and turned to look at Harry, his magical eye fixed upon him as well as the normal one. **

"**That was a very decent thing you just did, Potter," Moody said quietly. **

"It looks like I'm not in trouble at least," Harry let out a breath in his relief.

"I wonder why he took you to his office …" Tonks said frowning, Moody could have just said that to Harry in the corridor.

**Harry didn't know what to say; this wasn't the reaction he had expected at all. **

"**Sit down," said Moody, and Harry sat, looking around. **

**He had visited this office under two of its previous occupants. In Professor Lockhart's day, the walls had been plastered with beaming, winking pictures of Professor Lockhart himself. When Lupin had lived here, you were more likely to come across a specimen of some fascinating new Dark creature he had procured for them to study in class. **

"So both had horrifying images in the room," George said, causing Fred and Ron to laugh.

**Now, however, the office was full of a number of exceptionally odd objects that Harry supposed Moody had used in the days when he had been an Auror. **

**On his desk stood what looked hike a large, cracked, glass spinning top; Harry recognized it at once as a Sneakoscope, because he owned one himself, though it was much smaller than Moody's. **

"Why is it cracked?" Tonks wondered, that seemed like the sneakoscope Moody like keeping at his home, and the last time she had seen it, it had been fine … of course that was months ago for her and even longer in the book.

**In the corner on a small table stood an object that looked something like an extra-squiggly, golden television aerial. It was humming slightly. What appeared to be a mirror hung opposite Harry on the wall, but it was not reflecting the room. Shadowy figures were moving around inside it, none of them clearly in focus. **

"What are those things?" Harry asked Tonks.

"The book is about to explain," Remus said before she could answer.

"**Like my Dark Detectors, do you?" said Moody, who was watching Harry closely. **

"**What's that?" Harry asked, pointing at the squiggly golden aerial. **

"**Secrecy Sensor. Vibrates when it detects concealment and lies … no use here, of course, too much interference – students in every direction lying about why they haven't done their homework. Been humming ever since I got here. I had to disable my Sneakoscope because it wouldn't stop whistling. **

"I supposed that makes sense," Tonks said slowly, as if she wasn't really convince that it did make sense.

"The Sneakoscope I got you always went off whenever Scabbers was around," Ron said, his tone dark. "It might be picking up something more than just school mischief."

"Yeah, but I didn't really have the Sneakoscope out when Scabbers wasn't around … it could have gone off all the time anyways for all we know," Harry pointed out and Ron shrugged.

"That sort of sounds like my rememberall," Neville noted. "It tells you there is something is hidden around you, but not really what it is that is being hidden."

"It's true that Sneakoscopes have their limitations," Tonks admitted. "It can only help you so much."

**It's extra-sensitive, picks up stuff about a mile around. Of course, it could be picking up more than kid stuff," he added in a growl. **

"**And what's the mirror for?" **

"**Oh that's my Foe-Glass. See them out there, skulking around? I'm not really in trouble until I see the whites of their eyes. That's when I open my trunk." **

**He let out a short, harsh laugh, and pointed to the large trunk under the window. It had seven keyholes in a row. Harry wondered what was in there, until Moody's next question brought him sharply back to earth. **

"What's in the trunk?" this Harry had no problem asking.

"Sorry, Harry, I don't know that," Tonks said.

"**So… found out about the dragons, have you?" **

**Harry hesitated. He'd been afraid of this – but he hadn't told Cedric, and he certainly wasn't going to tell Moody, that Hagrid had broken the rules. **

"**It's all right," said Moody, sitting down and stretching out his wooden leg with a groan. "Cheating's a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and always has been." **

"**I didn't cheat," said Harry sharply. "It was – a sort of accident that I found out." **

"Still thinking the same way, I see," George said. "Good on you."

**Moody grinned. "I wasn't accusing you, laddie. I've been telling Dumbledore from the start, he can be as high-minded as he likes, but you can bet old Karkaroff and Maxime won't be. They'll have told their champions everything they can. They want to win. They want to beat Dumbledore. They'd like to prove he's only human." **

"But Dumbledore isn't even the one competing … how will it prove Dumbledore is human if he's not the one in the competition?" Ginny questioned exasperated.

**Moody gave another harsh laugh, and his magical eye swiveled around so fast it made Harry feel queasy to watch it. **

"**So … got any ideas how you're going to get past your dragon yet?" said Moody. **

"**No," said Harry. **

"**Well, I'm not going to tell you," said Moody gruffly. "I don't show favoritism, me. **

"That sounds like something someone says before they do the opposite," Fred pointed out with a grin.

"And Moody does play favoritism, I'm an example of that," Tonks pointed out, "he taught be more than the others in my Auror training … of course I asked him more questions … and wouldn't back down when he growled at him."

"And that's probably why he likes you so much," Arthur said.

**I'm just going to give you some good, general advice. And the first bit is – play to your strengths." **

"**I haven't got any," said Harry, before he could stop himself. **

"**Excuse me," growled Moody, "you've got strengths if I say you've got them. Think now. What are you best at?" **

**Harry tried to concentrate. What was he best at? Well, that was easy, really – **

"**Quidditch," he said dully, **

"Oh yes, Quidditch, the every useful skill in dragon slaying," George chuckled.

**"and a fat lot of help -" **

"**That's right," said Moody, staring at him very hard, his magical eye barely moving at all. "You're a damn good flier from what I've heard." **

"**Yeah, but …" Harry stared at him. "I'm not allowed a broom, I've only got my wand …" **

"**My second piece of general advice," said Moody loudly, interrupting him, "is to use a nice, simple spell that will enable you to get what you need." **

**Harry looked at him blankly. What did he need? **

"**Come on, boy …" whispered Moody. "Put them together … it's not that difficult …" **

**And it clicked. He was best at flying. He needed to pass the dragon in the air. For that, he needed his Firebolt. And for his Fire-bolt, he needed – **

"Yep, Moody is definitely not going to tell Harry how to get pass the dragon … he doesn't play favoritism, him," Fred nodded his head and grin, this had gone just as he had hoped. He felt a distinct relief of pressure and realized that he had been truly concern about the messy haired midget up until this point.

"Well that's bloody brilliant!" Ron explained and turned to his friend. "Harry you can actually get pass the dragon if you're flying."

"It's nice to know that you didn't think I could manage it without the flying," Harry said sarcastically, but he was feeling sort of light headed at the moment. Flying … he should have thought of that, it was were he always felt the most confident. Ron was right, if he had a chance of actually doing this task, in the air was his best shot.

"Don't you think Moody was being a little to helpful?" Percy narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Well," Tonks said thoughtfully, "maybe … but if Dumbledore had asked him to teach here so he could keep an eye on Harry, that it would make sense that he would be more helpful. It's not like Moody, or anyone else, can do anything while Harry's doing the task, so helping prepare for it would be the best he could do to help."

"Well that does make sense," Percy said though he didn't sound convince.

Teddy looked at Percy, wondering how much more Percy might see about Moody's behavior than the others, because he was more suspicious of the man. He would figured that his mum, as close as she is to Moody would be the last one to think he was actually someone else (unless there was something majorly out of characteristic which was unlikely because Dumbledore would have spotted that). When you trust someone it's harder to believe that they're actually who they say they are.

"**Hermione," Harry whispered, when he had sped into greenhouse three minutes later, uttering a hurried apology to Professor Sprout as he passed her. "Hermione – I need you to help me." **

"**What d'you think I've been trying to do, Harry?" she whispered back, her eyes round with anxiety over the top of the quivering Flutterby Bush she was pruning. **

"Rattling off nonsense …" Ron said teasingly, "ow, Hermione, it was a joke, you don't have to get violent."

Hermione just glared at him.

"**Hermione, I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon." **

**And so they practiced. They didn't have lunch, but headed for a free classroom, where Harry tried with all his might to make various objects fly across the room toward him. He was still having problems. The books and quills kept losing heart halfway across the room and dropping hike stones to the floor. **

"Oh come on Harry, you can do it," Sirius said giving him positive reinforcement.

"**Concentrate, Harry, concentrate …" **

"**What d'you think I'm trying to do?" said Harry angrily. "A great big dragon keeps popping up in my head for some reason … Okay, try again …" **

**He wanted to skip Divination to keep practicing, but Hermione refused pointblank to skive off Arithmancy, and there was no point in staying without her. **

"Really Hermione, one would think skipping a class to save a friends life would be acceptable," Fred said shaking his head.

Hermione blushed, when he said it like that it sounded a pit silly that she wouldn't help Harry … but she loved Arithmancy …

"Don't tell my daughter to skive off classes," Duncan said with a stern look, though his tone sounded slightly amused.

**He therefore had to endure over an hour of Professor Trelawney, who spent half the lesson telling everyone that the position of Mars with relation to Saturn at that moment meant that people born in July were in great danger of sudden, violent deaths. **

"I new the signs didn't look so good for me," Neville sighed.

"There's a lot of people that are going to violently die if everyone in July were in danger," Bill said.

"**Well, that's good," said Harry loudly, his temper getting the better of him, "just as long as it's not drawn-out. I don't want to suffer." **

**Ron looked for a moment as though he was going to laugh; he certainly caught Harry's eye for the first time in days, but Harry was still feeling too resentful toward Ron to care. **

"That's not true, if you didn't care you wouldn't have mentioned it," George said. "You really need to learn to let a few things go Harry. Keeping a hold of all your bent up emotions aren't helping you much."

**He spent the rest of the lesson trying to attract small objects toward him under the table with his wand. He managed to make a fly zoom straight into his hand, though he wasn't entirely sure that was his prowess at Summoning Charms - perhaps the fly was just stupid. **

There were a few people laughed at that thought.

**He forced down some dinner after Divination, then returned to the empty classroom with Hermione, using the Invisibility Cloak to avoid the teachers. They kept practicing until past midnight. They would have stayed longer, but Peeves turned up and, pretending to think that Harry wanted things thrown at him, started chucking chairs across the room. **

"Ah, classic Peeves," George said in a fond tone.

**Harry and Hermione left in a hurry before the noise attracted Filch, and went back to the Gryffindor common room, which was now mercifully empty. **

**At two o'clock in the morning, Harry stood near the fireplace, surrounded by heaps of objects: books, quills, several upturned chairs, an old set of Gobstones, and Neville's toad, Trevor. Only in the last hour had Harry really got the hang of the Summoning Charm. **

"You mean the Summoning Charm will make Trevor come to me," Neville said, "I think I'm going to find this spell really useful."

The trio couldn't help but chuckling at his comment thinking of Neville's search for his toad in their first year.

"**That's better, Harry, that's loads better," Hermione said, looking exhausted but very pleased. **

"**Well, now we know what to do next time I can't manage a spell," Harry said, throwing a rune dictionary back to Hermione, so he could try again, "threaten me with a dragon. Right …" **

"Let's hope we don't always have to resort to such drastic means, ah," Sirius said.

**He raised his wand once more. "Accio Dictionary!" The heavy book soared out of Hermione's hand, flew across the room, and Harry caught it. **

"**Harry, I really think you've got it!" said Hermione delightedly. **

"**Just as long as it works tomorrow," Harry said. "The Firebolt's going to be much farther away than the stuff in here, it's going to be in the castle, and I'm going to be out there on the grounds…" **

"You know you could have Hermione bring it with her to the wherever we're going to be while watching the first task," Ron pointed out. "That would make it so your broom is closer."

"And make it obvious that Hermione's helping me," Harry pointed out, but he had to admit, what Ron said made a lot of sense. If the broom was closer than he would be able to summon it a lot easier.

"So, have her hide it someone a little closer than inside the castle," Ron shrugged.

"**That doesn't matter," said Hermione firmly. "Just as long as you're concentrating really, really hard on it, it'll come. Harry, we'd better get some sleep … you're going to need it." **

**Harry had been focusing so hard on learning the Summoning Charm that evening that some of his blind panic had heft him. It returned in full measure, however, on the following morning. **

"You were probably less nervous because you were actually doing something to help you before," Teddy said, "now all you've got to do is wait."

**The atmosphere in the school was one of great tension and excitement. Lessons were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons' enclosure – though of course, they didn't yet know what they would find there. **

**Harry felt oddly separate from everyone around him, whether they were wishing him good luck or hissing "We'll have a box of tissues ready, Potter" as he passed. **

"Why would they have a box of tissues ready?" Tonks wanted to know.

"I don't know, in case I get squashed or something," Harry shrugged.

"If they cared about that, they wouldn't have talked to you at all," Tonks pointed out logically. "They'd have no need for tissue."

"You seem rather angry about this taunt?" Remus pointed out.

"I just like it when taunts don't make any sense," Tonks shrugged. "It makes it harder to come up with a good comeback if the first taunt doesn't make sense."

**It was a state of nervousness so advanced that he wondered whether he mightn't just lose his head when they tried to lead him out to his dragon, and start trying to curse everyone in sight. Time was behaving in a more peculiar fashion than ever, rushing past in great dollops, so that one moment he seemed to be sitting down in his first lesson, History of Magic, and the next, walking into lunch … **

"Don't complain about that one, anytime that History of Magic seems to take no time is a good thing," George said, he didn't like that class much.

**and then (where had the morning gone? the last of the dragon-free hours?), Professor McGonagall was hurrying over to him in the Great Hall. Lots of people were watching. **

"**Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now … You have to get ready for your first task." **

"**Okay," said Harry, standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter. **

"**Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispered. "You'll be fine!" **

"**Yeah," said Harry in a voice that was most unlike his own. **

Harry's nervousness in the book seemed to be effecting everyone in the room as they got tense again, and quieter. The relief that came with Harry having a plan to get past the dragon seem to vanish as they waited for the actual task to start.

**He left the Great Hall with Professor McGonagall. She didn't seem herself either; in fact, she looked nearly as anxious as Hermione. As she walked him down the stone steps and out into the cold November afternoon, she put her hand on his shoulder. **

"She's a big softy at heart," Sirius informed the room, unable to stay quiet for too long as a nervous energy filled him. "She stern of course and harsh when she's angry, but that's only because she cares."

"**Now, don't panic," she said, "just keep a cool head … We've got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand … The main thing is just to do your best, and nobody will think any the worse of you … Are you all right?" **

"Nice pep talk, but it sounds like she thinks you're going to do horribly," Fred noted.

Harry shrugged, it didn't really matter, it matter more that she was trying to make him feel better.

"**Yes," Harry heard himself say. "Yes, I'm fine." **

**She was leading him toward the place where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest, but when they approached the clump of trees behind which the enclosure would be clearly visible, Harry saw that a tent had been erected, its entrance facing them, screening the dragons from view. **

"**You're to go in here with the other champions," said Professor McGonagall, in a rather shaky sort of voice, "and wait for your turn, Potter. Mr. Bagman is in there … he'll be telling you the – the procedure … Good luck." **

"**Thanks," said Harry, in a flat, distant voice. She left him at the entrance of the tent. Harry went inside. **

**Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. **

"It seems like hearing about the dragons has taken a little swagger out of her," George said.

"I think dragons will do that to a person," Bill said.

"Other than nutter like Charlie and Hagrid who actually get more swagger when dragons are involved," Fred added.

**Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, which Harry supposed was his way of showing nerves. Cedric was pacing up and down. When Harry entered, Cedric gave him a small smile, which Harry returned, feeling the muscles in his face working rather hard, as though they had forgotten how to do it. **

"Why is it you're always the last to come?" Ginny wondered.

"Don't know? Does it matter?" Harry asked.

"Not really … but it would be nice to hear about how people walk into a room instead of how they looked when they're already in there," Ginny shrugged.

"**Harry! Good-o!" said Bagman happily, looking around at him. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home!" **

**Bagman looked somehow like a slightly overblown cartoon figure, standing amid all the pale-faced champions. He was wearing his old Wasp robes again. "Well, now we're all here – time to fill you in!" said Bagman brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" – he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them – "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different – er – varieties, you see. **

"I don't get why he can't just tell them it's dragons at that point," Sirius complained, "it's only a few minutes before the task, what difference is it going to make if they know now."

**And I have to tell you something else too … ah, yes … your task is to collect the golden egg!" **

"**An egg," Juliet said. "Didn't Charlie say the dragons were nesting mothers …" **

There were a few swear words said around the room as they agree with what she had just said.

**Harry glanced around. Cedric had nodded once, to show that he understood Bagman's words, and then started pacing around the tent again; he looked slightly green. Fleur Delacour and Krum hadn't reacted at all. Perhaps they thought they might be sick if they opened their mouths; that was certainly how Harry felt. But they, at least, had volunteered for this … **

"Yeah, and maybe they were now questioning their sanity in doing so," Duncan said, that's what he would have been doing if he was one of those champions after all.

**And in no time at all, hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent, their owners talking excitedly, laughing, joking … Harry felt as separate from the crowd as though they were a different species. And then – it seemed like about a second later to Harry – Bagman was opening the neck of the purple silk sack. **

"**Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur Delacour. **

**She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon – a Welsh Green. **

"Argh," Sirius groaned.

"What's the matter with you?" Remus asked him.

"I was hoping that was the one Harry would get," Sirius explained. "They're not as bad as the others."

**It had the number two around its neck And Harry knew, by the fact that Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but rather a determined resignation, that he had been right: Madame Maxime had told her what was coming. **

**The same held true for Krum. He pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. It had a number three around its neck. He didn't even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground. **

**Cedric put his hand into the bag, and out came the blueish-gray Swedish Short – Snout, the number one tied around its neck. **

"Of course you'd get the effing Horntail," Sirius grumbled.

"That's seems to go with my luck," Harry sighed.

"That or the other could feel the Horntail in the bag and avoided that dragon," Bill reasoned.

"Stupid Bagman, he should have had you go first Harry," Sirius growled this time.

**Knowing what was left, Harry put his hand into the silk bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail, and the number four. It stretched its wings as he looked down at it, and bared its minuscule fangs. **

"**Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? **

"Hm … I wonder if the number the dragons were given are indications about how dangerous they are," Tonks mused out loud. "I mean it would level out the balance between getting a little longer to think about what you can do and to face a less dangerous dragon …"

"Except for the fact that they all knew about the dragons beforehand so that doesn't really work," Sirius pointed out.

"Well Bagman doesn't know they already know about the dragons," Tonks said.

**Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Now … Harry … could I have a quick word? Outside?" **

"**Er … yes," said Harry blankly, and he got up and went out of the tent with Bagman, who walked him a short distance away, into the trees, and then turned to him with a fatherly expression on his face. **

"**Feeling all right, Harry? Anything I can get you?" **

"**What?" said Harry. "I – no, nothing." **

"**Got a plan?" said Bagman, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Because I don't mind sharing a few pointers, if you'd like them, you know. I mean," Bagman continued, lowering his voice still further, "you're the underdog here, Harry … Anything I can do to help …" **

"So much for that unbiased judge," George said.

"Why is he offering you help?" Percy narrowed his eyes, "that's not right."

"I have no idea," Harry frowned, this felt a lot different than getting help from Hagrid or even Moody. He didn't really know Bagman at all, and it didn't make sense that he was trying to help.

"**No," said Harry so quickly he knew he had sounded rude, "no – I – I know what I'm going to do, thanks." **

"**Nobody would know, Harry," said Bagman, winking at him. **

"**No, I'm fine," said Harry, wondering why he kept telling people this, and wondering whether he had ever been less fine. "I've got a plan worked out, I – " **

**A whistle had blown somewhere. **

"**Good lord, I've got to run!" said Bagman in alarm, and he hurried off. **

"It doesn't seem like he would have been much help even if you had wanted it," Ron noted, he was sort of reminded of Lockhart in that moment, though he pushed that thought aside. Bagman was a good beater after all and had a useful skill where Lockhart was a mindless windbag.

**Harry walked back to the tent and saw Cedric emerging from it, greener than ever. Harry tried to wish him luck as he walked past, but all that came out of his mouth was a sort of hoarse grunt. **

**Harry went back inside to Fleur and Krum. Seconds later, they heard the roar of the crowd, which meant Cedric had entered the enclosure and was now face-to face with the living counterpart of his model. **

"I think I would rather take on the model," Fred said.

"All I can say is that I'm glad that Angie wasn't the champion," George added. "It's enough to have to worry about this git."

"Thanks," Harry said, or at least he said it out loud, he was finding it difficult to actually speak at the moment.

**It was worse than Harry could ever have imagined, sitting there and listening. The crowd screamed … yelled … gasped like a single many-headed entity, as Cedric did whatever he was doing to get past the Swedish Short-Snout. Krum was still staring at the ground. Fleur had now taken to retracing Cedric's steps, around and around the tent. And Bagman's commentary made everything much, much worse … Horrible pictures formed in Harry's mind as he heard: "Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow" … "He's taking risks, this one!" … "Clever move – pity it didn't work!" **

"I can see how that's not helpful," Sirius mumbled, all those tid pits did was make you want to know what's happening more. "Can't he shout more useful things."

"He probably doesn't want to give the other champions any idea by knowing what Cedric is doing," Tonks reasoned.

**And then, after about fifteen minutes, Harry heard the deafening roar that could mean only one thing: Cedric had gotten past his dragon and captured the golden egg. **

"Way to go Cedric," Tonks cheered and was joined by a few of the others, when the champions were facing dragons, it only seemed right for them to cheer for them when the got passed it.

"**Very good indeed!" Bagman was shouting. "And now the marks from the judges!" **

**But he didn't shout out the marks; Harry supposed the judges were holding them up and showing them to the crowd. **

"**One down, three to go!" Bagman yelled as the whistle blew again. "Miss Delacour, if you please!" **

**Fleur was trembling from head to foot; Harry felt more warmly toward her than he had done so far as she heft the tent with her head held high and her hand clutching her wand. **

"Since when have you not felt warmly towards her?" Fred questioned.

Harry made to answer but the words didn't really come out.

"Probably about the time she called him a 'little boy'," George said, when he realized that Harry wasn't going to answer, he also noticed that Ron and Hermione were very pale, as they looked at Harry.

**He and Krum were left alone, at opposite sides of the tent, avoiding each other's gaze. **

**The same process started again …"Oh I'm not sure that was wise!" they could hear Bagman shouting gleefully. "Oh … nearly! Careful now … good lord, I thought she'd had it then!" **

**Ten minutes later, Harry heard the crowd erupt into applause once more … Fleur must have been successful too. **

There was some polite cheering for that, though not as much as for Cedric, they still felt the same about the fact this girl had been facing a dragon.

**A pause, while Fleur's marks were being shown … more clapping … then, for the third time, the whistle. **

"**And here comes Mr. Krum!" cried Bagman, and Krum slouched out, leaving Harry quite alone. **

**He felt much more aware of his body than usual; very aware of the way his heart was pumping fast, and his fingers tingling with fear … yet at the same time, he seemed to be outside himself, seeing the walls of the tent, and hearing the crowd, as though from far away. **

"**Very daring!" Bagman was yelling, and Harry heard the Chinese Fireball emit a horrible, roaring shriek, while the crowd drew its collective breath. "That's some nerve he's showing – and – yes, he's got the egg!" **

"That sounded quicker than the others," Ron commented.

**Applause shattered the wintery air like breaking glass; Krum had finished – it would be Harry's turn any moment. **

**He stood up, noticing dimly that his legs seemed to be made of marshmallow. He waited. And then he heard the whistle blow. He walked out through the entrance of the tent, the panic rising into a crescendo inside him. And now he was walking past the trees, through a gap in the enclosure fence. **

"I don't know how you can do that," Ron mumbled, thinking about walking to the enclosure knowing he was going to face a dragon. How could he ever have wanted to be a champion?

**He saw everything in front of him as though it was a very highly colored dream. **

**There were hundreds and hundreds of faces staring down at him from stands that had been magicked there since he'd last stood on this spot. And there was the Horntail, at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch of eggs, her wings half-furled, her evil, yellow eyes upon him, a monstrous, scaly, black lizard, thrashing her spiked tail, heaving yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground. The crowd was making a great deal of noise, but whether friendly or not, Harry didn't know or care. It was time to do what he had to do … to focus his mind, entirely and absolutely, upon the thing that was his only chance. **

"See … you didn't have to worry about doing the task in front of everyone at school," Fred said, his was going for a jaunty tone, but it came out rather shaky, "you're able to focus only on the task at hand."

**He raised his wand. **

"**Accio Firebolt!" he shouted. **

**Harry waited, every fiber of him hoping, praying … If it hadn't worked … if it wasn't coming … He seemed to be looking at everything around him through some sort of shimmering, transparent barrier, like a heat haze, which made the enclosure and the hundreds of faces around him swim strangely … **

**And then he heard it, speeding through the air behind him; he turned and saw his Firebolt hurtling toward him around the edge of the woods, **

There was an audible sign of relief as nearly everyone in the room let out a breath. There was still plenty of tension in the air, but it was a good deal less than just a second ago.

**soaring into the enclosure, and stopping dead in midair beside him, waiting for him to mount. The crowd was making even more noise … Bagman was shouting something … but Harry's ears were not working properly anymore … listening wasn't important … **

"No, the big dragon in the tent is what's important," Sirius said, not even realizing he was speaking out loud.

**He swung his leg over the broom and kicked off from the ground. And a second later, something miraculous happened … **

**As he soared upward, as the wind rushed through his hair, as the crowd's faces became mere flesh-colored pinpnicks below, and the Horntail shrank to the size of a dog, he realized that he had heft not only the ground behind, but also his fear … He was back where he belonged … **

There was another drop in the tension, having Harry fell confident, seemed to make everyone feel it too.

**This was just another Quidditch match, that was all … just another Quidditch match, and that Horntail was just another ugly opposing team. **

"Harry, mate, not even the Slytherins are that ugly," Fred said.

**He looked down at the clutch of eggs and spotted the gold one, gleaming against its cement-colored fellows, residing safely between the dragon's front legs. **

"**Okay," Harry told himself, "diversionary tactics … let's go …" **

**He dived. The Horntail's head followed him; he knew what it was going to do and pulled out of the dive just in time; a jet of fire had been released exactly where he would have been had he not swerved away … but Harry didn't care … that was no more than dodging a Bludger. **

"Seriously mate, we send the best Bludgers at people and we are no dragon fire," George pointed out.

"Shut up," Sirius hissed at him and then turned to Harry, "good dodge, just make sure you keep a good eye on the dragon and watch for it's cues."

"**Great Scott, he can fly!" yelled Bagman as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?" **

"**He certainly can fly!" Ron cheered as Sirius said, "you show him Harry!" **

**Harry soared higher in a circle; the Horntail was still following his progress; its head revolving on its long neck – if he kept this up, it would be nicely dizzy – but better not push it too long, or it would be breathing fire again – **

"But you can dodge it," George pointed out excitedly. "Just keep circling him!"

**Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened its mouth, but this time he was less lucky **

"NO!" was a groan that came from several people. Remus might even have said it, but he quickly kept reading to hear what happened.

– **he missed the flames, but the tail came whipping up to meet him instead, and as he swerved to the left, one of the long spikes grazed his shoulder, ripping his robes — **

"That could have been worse," Ron said, he had turn quiet pale.

**He could feel it stinging, he could hear screaming and groans from the crowd, but the cut didn't seem to be deep … Now he zoomed around the back of the Horntail, and a possibility occurred to him … **

**The Horntail didn't seem to want to take off, she was too protective of her eggs. Though she writhed and twisted, furling and unfurling her wings and keeping those fearsome yellow eyes on Harry, she was afraid to move too far from them … but he had to persuade her to do it, or he'd never get near them … The trick was to do it carefully, gradually … **

**He began to fly, first this way, then the other, not near enough to make her breathe fire to stave him off, but still posing a sufficient threat to ensure she kept her eyes on him. Her head swayed this way and that, watching him out of those vertical pupils, her fangs bared … **

"Hm … good plan," Bill said nodding his head.

**He flew higher. The Horntail's head rose with him, her neck now stretched to its fullest extent, still swaying, hike a snake before its charmer … Harry rose a few more feet, and she let out a roar of exasperation. He was like a fly to her, a fly she was longing to swat; her tail thrashed again, but he was too high to reach now … She shot fire into the air, which he dodged … Her jaws opened wide … **

"**Come on," Harry hissed, swerving tantalizingly above her, "come on, come and get me … up you get now …"**

"Lets hope it doesn't understand English or she'd know it's a trap," Fred quipped.

"Nah, why would she understand English, she's Hungarian," George said.

**And then she reared, spreading her great, black, leathery wings at last, as wide as those of a small airplane – and Harry dived. Before the dragon knew what he had done, or where he had disappeared to, he was speeding toward the ground as fast as he could go, toward the eggs now unprotected by her clawed front legs – he had taken his hands off his Firebolt – he had seized the golden egg – **

"YES!" was the loudest and most understandable cheer though a lot of other things were said. Everyone had risen form their seats and went over to pat Harry on the back or say congratulation as if he was the one that had just gone through the task. It didn't matter, it felt like he had. It took a while for everyone to settle down again but eventually Remus picked up the book and started reading.

**And with a huge spurt of speed, he was off, he was soaring out over the stands, the heavy egg safely under his uninjured arm, and it was as though somebody had just turned the volume back up – for the first time, he became properly aware of the noise of the crowd, which was screaming and applauding as loudly as the Irish supporters at the World Cup – **

"Looks like you'll have more fans after this task," Ron said, despite this being a soar subject he was smiling, too happy to like something like that bother him.

"**Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!" **

"You hear that Harry, you were the quickest!" Ron said. "That's incredible."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, "I'm just glad I got through the task at all."

**Harry saw the dragon keepers rushing forward to subdue the Horntail, and, over at the entrance to the enclosure, Professor McGonagalh, Professor Moody, and Hagrid hurrying to meet him, all of them waving him toward them, their smiles evident even from this distance. He flew back over the stands, the noise of the crowd pounding his eardrums, and came in smoothly to land, his heart lighter than it had been in weeks … He had got through the first task, he had survived. **

"**That was excellent, Potter!" cried Professor McGonagall as he got off the Firebolt – which from her was extravagant praise. **

"She's more extravagant in her praises when it's not about Transfiguration," Sirius noted, he had a huge grin on his face that made him look a lot younger than he had been looking of late.

**He noticed that her hand shook as she pointed at his shoulder. "You'll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score … Over there, she's had to mop up Diggory already …" **

"Oh dear, I hope he wasn't hurt," Molly fretted.

"I'm sure if he was seriously hurt, McGonagall wouldn't have said mop up," Bill reasoned.

"**Yeh did it, Harry!" said Hagrid hoarsely. "Yeh did it! An' agains' the Horntail an' all, an' yeh know Charlie said that was the wors' – " **

"**Thanks, Hagrid," said Harry loudly, so that Hagrid wouldn't blunder on and reveal that he had shown Harry the dragons beforehand. **

"I think it's too late," Fred said. "Oh well, I don't think anyone is going to say anything."

**Professor Moody looked very pleased too; his magical eye was dancing in its socket. **

"That seems like an odd thing for him to do," Ginny said.

"It's really creepy," Tonks said. "But he thinks it's funny."

"Well he's a funny bloke isn't he," George said.

"**Nice and easy does the trick, Potter," he growled. **

"**Right then, Potter, the first aid tent, please …" said Professor McGonagall. **

**Harry walked out of the enclosure, still panting, and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the mouth of a second tent, looking worried. **

"**Dragons!" she said, in a disgusted tone, pulling Harry inside. The tent was divided into cubicles; he could make out Cedric's shadow through the canvas, but Cedric didn't seem to be badly injured; he was sitting up, at least. Madam Pomfrey examined Harry's shoulder, talking furiously all the while. "Last year dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring into this school next? **

"I shudder to think," Molly groaned, thinking that perhaps something worse would come.

Teddy was on the other hand wonder if Grawp qualified as bring something into Hogwarts …

**You're very lucky … this is quite shallow … it'll need cleaning before I heal it up, though…" **

**She cleaned the cut with a dab of some purple liquid that smoked and stung, but then poked his shoulder with her wand, and he felt it heal instantly. "Now, just sit quietly for a minute – sit! **

"Yeah sit, Potter," Fred said in a commanding tone and since Harry was already sitting he added, "Good boy."

"Shut up!" Harry glared at him.

**And then you can go and get your score." **

**She bustled out of the tent and he heard her go next door and say, "How does it feel now, Diggory?" **

**Harry didn't want to sit still: He was too full of adrenaline. He got to his feet, **

"Never mind, you're a bad boy, Potter … bad boy," Fred went on laughing when Harry just glared at him more.

**wanting to see what was going on outside, but before he'd reached the mouth of the tent, two people had come darting inside – Hermione, followed closely by Ron. **

"Aw, there's nothing like dragons to bring friends back together," George said sagely.

"I think it's more look life threatening situations that shows some people that they're acting like a git," Ron said, his shoulder slumming.

"We already put that behind us Ron, don't worry about it," Harry said. "I'm just glad things will get better for us in the book too."

"**Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said squeakily. There were fingernail marks on her face where she had been clutching it in fear. **

"Oh Merlin," Hermione groaned, she couldn't believe that she actually had marks on her face. Ron couldn't help but smiling as she blushed.

**"You were amazing! You really were!" **

**But Harry was looking at Ron, who was very white and staring at Harry as though he were a ghost. **

"**Harry," he said, very seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet – I – I reckon they're trying to do you in!" **

"What a way to apologize Ron," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"You know I'm not very good at doing that," Ron mumbled.

**It was as though the last few weeks had never happened – as though Harry were meeting Ron for the first time, right after he'd been made champion. **

"**Caught on, have you?" said Harry coldly. "Took you long enough." **

**Hermione stood nervously between them, looking from one to the other. Ron opened his mouth uncertainly. Harry knew Ron was about to apologize and suddenly he found he didn't need to hear it. **

"**It's okay," he said, before Ron could get the words out. "Forget it." **

"**No," said Ron, "I shouldn't've –" **

"**Forget it," Harry said. **

**Ron grinned nervously at him, and Harry grinned back. **

Hermione was shaking her head in disbelief. After all that drama, that's how they get back to being friends.

**Hermione burst into tears. **

"**There's nothing to cry about!" Harry told her, bewildered. **

"**You two are so stupid!" she shouted, **

Almost everyone laughed at that.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Ginny said. "What was the point of you two fighting all that time if you could make up just like that!?"

"I don't know," Ron and Harry said at the same time.

**stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given both of them a hug and dashed away, now positively howling. **

"And we're the stupid ones," Ron chuckled.

"**Barking mad," said Ron, shaking his head. **

"Oh and that too," Ron agreed with what his book self said.

"I'm not barking," Hermione complained.

"On don't know Hermione, you seemed to be doing a good impression of someone barking," Fred informed her.

**"Harry, c'mon, they'll be putting up your scores …" **

**Picking up the golden egg and his Firebolt, feeling more elated than he would have believed possible an hour ago, Harry ducked out of the tent, Ron by his side, talking fast. **

"**You were the best, you know, no competition. Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground … turned it into a dog … he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. **

"Hm … that's actually pretty inventive," Sirius said, he couldn't really dislike a guy that was good in transfiguration … well unless he was an dark wizard. "Though I would have preferred it if he made it a cat or something else … dog shouldn't be dragon bait."

"Whatever, Padfoot," Remus chuckled.

**Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked, because he did get the egg, but he got burned as well – the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; **

"And a Labrador too … they're so cute and innocent," Sirius said, "how could he use that as bait."

**he only just got away. And that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was trying to put it into a trance – well, that kind of worked too, it went all sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire – she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand. And Krum – you won't believe this, but he didn't even think of flying! **

"Well obviously not, or he would probably have been the best," Harry said.

"Probably," Ron agreed, think that Harry was awesome, but Krum was amazing in the air.

**He was probably the best after you, though. Hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye. Only thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs – they took marks off for that, he wasn't supposed to do any damage to them."**

"Oh poor Hagrid is probably crying over the broken eggs," Fred said. "Charlie too."

**Ron drew breath as he and Harry reached the edge of the enclosure. Now that the Horntail had been taken away, Harry could see where the five judges were sitting – right at the other end, in raised seats draped in gold. **

"**It's marks out of ten from each one," Ron said, and Harry squinting up the field, saw the first judge – Madame Maxime – raise her wand in the air. What hooked like a long silver ribbon shot out of it, which twisted itself into a large figure eight. **

"Oh come on he's the best, he deserves more," Sirius complained.

"It's not really about being the best," Remus reminded him. "It's about Harry not getting hurt."

"I know that," Sirius said. "But I still like him to do good while he does that."

"**Not bad!" said Ron as the crowd applauded. "I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder …" **

**Mr. Crouch came next. He shot a number nine into the air. **

"**Looking good!" Ron yelled, thumping Harry on the back. **

**Next, Dumbledore. He too put up a nine. The crowd was cheering harder than ever. **

**Ludo Bagman – ten. **

"See, someone's got the right number, they should all be tens," Sirius said.

"**Ten?" said Harry in disbelief. "But … I got hurt … What's he playing at?" **

"**Harry, don't complain!" Ron yelled excitedly. **

**And now Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment, and then a number shot out of his wand too – four.**

"Bloody effing git," Sirius growled.

"**What?" Ron bellowed furiously. "Four? You lousy, biased scumbag, you gave Krum ten!" **

"I like you're thinking, Ron," Sirius smiled at him.

"Karkaroff doesn't seem to be afraid to taint the judging in favor of his champion though," Remus said. "At least Madame Maxime was fair in hers."

"I wouldn't be surprise if she gave Fleur a higher score for just being her champion," Bill reasoned, "but she didn't tank Harry score like Karkaroff seemed to."

**But Harry didn't care, he wouldn't have cared if Karkaroff had given him zero; Ron's indignation on his behalf was worth about a hundred points to him. **

"Then I think I'll be more indignant on your behalf in the future," Ron said.

"It's probably just because we made up," Harry said, though that wasn't exactly true, he did like it when Ron always defended him, it was nice knowing that Ron was there for him.

**He didn't tell Ron this, of course, **

"Of course not … why tell Ron something like that," Hermione grumbled under her breath. "What would be the benefit of that."

**but his heart felt lighter than air as he turned to leave the enclosure. And it wasn't just Ron … those weren't only Gryffindors cheering in the crowd. When it had come to it, when they had seen what he was facing, most of the school had been on his side as well as Cedric's … He didn't care about the Slytherins, he could stand whatever they threw at him now. **

"**You're tied in first place, Harry! You and Krum!" said Charlie Weasley, hurrying to meet them as they set off back toward the school. "Listen, I've got to run, I've got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened **

"Oh good, I think I'd really like to hear how well you did," Molly said, knowing she would have been really worried about the boy.

– **but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah – and they told me to tell you you've got to hang around for a few more minutes … Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent." **

**Ron said he would wait, so Harry reentered the tent, which somehow looked quite different now: friendly and welcoming. He thought back to how he'd felt while dodging the Horntail, and compared it to the long wait before he'd walked out to face it … There was no comparison; the wait had been immeasurably worse. **

"Only you would think that waiting to fight a dragon was worse than actually doing it," Hermione shook her head.

"I don't think that's true," Harry said. "I think the other champions might say the same thing. The nerves are killer … but when you're doing the actual task all you do is react … you don't have time to think about what's going to happen you just do."

**Fleur, Cedric, and Krum all came in together. One side of Cedric's face was covered in a thick orange paste, which was presumably mending his burn. He grinned at Harry when he saw him. **

"**Good one, Harry." **

"**And you," said Harry, grinning back. **

"**Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the tent and looking as pleased as though he personally had just got past a dragon. "Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth – but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open … see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg – because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!" **

"Well I guess it's clear enough, but I do wonder what the next task is going to be," Sirius answered.

"Well I'm just going to have to open the egg and see," Harry said. "Whatever it is, it can't be worse than the dragon … right?" he added the last part uncertainly.

"Well, tranditional the first task is the most … er … daring," Percy said searching for the right word. "But the other task will have their own dangers."

**Harry left the tent, rejoined Ron, and they started to walk back around the edge of the forest, talking hard; Harry wanted to hear what the other champions had done in more detail. Then, as they rounded the clump of trees behind which Harry had first heard the dragons roar, a witch leapt out from behind them. **

**It was Rita Skeeter. **

"Argh, why is she there," Harry groaned.

"To talk to you," Ron said like that should be obvious.

"Yeah, well I'm not going to talk to her," Harry said.

**She was wearing acid-green robes today; the Quick-Quotes Quill in her hand blended perfectly against them. **

"**Congratulations, Harry!" she said, beaming at him. "I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now, about the fairness of the scoring?" **

"**Yeah, you can have a word," said Harry savagely. "Good-bye." **

"Good one," the twins said giving him a thumps up.

**And he set off back to the castle with Ron. **

"That's the end of the chapter," Remus said, glad that his reading was over with, it hadn't been easy to read about Harry going through the task, but something told him that wasn't going to be the worst part of this book. He past the book over until Hermione got it.


	22. The House-Elf Liberation Front

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty Two

The House-Elf Liberation Front

"**The House-Elf Liberation Front," **Hermione said with a smile, she thought this might just be the perfect chapter for her to read.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Owlery that evening to find Pigwidgeon, so that Harry could send Sirius a letter telling him that he had managed to get past his dragon unscathed. On the way, Harry filled Ron in on everything Sirius had told him about Karkaroff. Though shocked at first to hear that Karkaroff had been a Death Eater, by the time they entered the Owlery Ron was saying that they ought to have suspected it all along. **

"**Fits, doesn't it?" he said. "Remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff? **

"That's true Malfoy did say that," Ginny said.

"Not all of Malfoy's friends are Death Eaters though," Arthur said bitterly, "some of them are just blind or stupid."

"Arthur," Molly warned, he didn't say anything more but he did still glare at the book.

**Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup … **

"**I'd doubt that," Arthur spook up again. "Karkaroff angered the people in and out of Azkaban with what he did … that's why he went to Durmstrang in the first place. He wouldn't have gone to the Would Cup and he wouldn't have been with the other Death Eaters." **

"So is Malfoy friends with Karkaroff still?" Ginny asked.

"I couldn't say," Arthur said looking at Draco who seemed to be keeping quiet while they talked about this and he saw way. The boy clearly didn't know what his dad's relationship with Karkaroff was like. "I'd imagine that Lucius wouldn't mind keeping in touch with an outcast Death Eater if he thought that said Death Eater could help him in the future."

**I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here – I'll do it –"**

"It's only the first task Ron," Percy said, trying to point out that Karkaroff had more chancing for his plan to work if it was him, but that didn't seem to be the right thing to say. Several people shot him a glare for his trouble.

**Pigwidgeon was so overexcited at the idea of a delivery he was flying around and around Harry's head, hooting incessantly. Ron snatched Pigwidgeon out of the air and held him still while Harry attached the letter to his leg. **

"**There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?" Ron went on as he carried Pigwidgeon to the window. "You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry, I'm serious." **

"You're really laying it on thick Ron," Harry chuckled.

**Harry knew that Ron was only saying this to make up for his behavior of the last few weeks, but he appreciated it all the same. Hermione, however, leaned against the Owlery wall, folded her arms, and frowned at Ron. **

"**Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament," she said seriously. "If that was the first task, I hate to think what's coming next." **

"**Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" said Ron. "You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime." **

Hermione glared daggers at him for that comment as Ron sniggered.

**He threw Pigwidgeon out of the window. Pigwidgeon plummeted twelve feet before managing to pull himself back up again; the letter attached to his leg was much longer and heavier than usual – Harry hadn't been able to resist giving Sirius a blow-by-blow account of exactly how he had swerved, circled, and dodged the Horntail. They watched Pigwidgeon disappear into the darkness, and then Ron said, "Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry – Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now." **

"I think we have to explain to you what a surprise party is, Ron," Ginny rolled her eyes. "Here's a hint, you're not supposed to tell the person about it."

"It's not like Harry wouldn't figure out there would some sort of party for him after that," Ron said.

**Sure enough, when they entered the Gryffindor common room it exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface; Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster's Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks; and Dean Thomas, who was very good at drawing, had put up some impressive new banners, most of which depicted Harry zooming around the Horntail's head on his Firebolt, though a couple showed Cedric with his head on fire. **

"Oh very witty," Tonks rolled her eyes as some of the others sniggered.

**Harry helped himself to food; he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel properly hungry, and sat down with Ron and Hermione. He couldn't believe how happy he felt; he had Ron back on his side, he'd gotten through the first task, and he wouldn't have to face the second one for three months. **

"**Blimey, this is heavy," said Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg, which Harry had left on a table, and weighing it in his hands. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!" **

"**He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said swiftly. "It's in the tournament rules …" **

"**I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too," Harry muttered, so only Hermione could hear him, and she grinned rather guiltily. **

"Yes, helping Harry survive is something you should be guilty about," George said to her sarcastically.

"I thought the rules said the champions couldn't get help from teachers … I didn't hear anything about help from friends," Harry said.

"There's more rules to the tournament than what's been said in the book," Percy said. "A lot more. I believe there is something about the champion working on his, or her, own."

"**Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" several people echoed. **

**Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and pried it open. **

**It was hollow and completely empty – but the moment Harry opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room. **

"What the hell is that about?" Sirius questioned, though several other people voiced similar concerns. "What's kind of clue is a wailing egg?"

"I don't know?" Remus said, cocking his head to the side as he rubbed his chin, which was how he looked whenever he was deep in thought. "Obviously it's got to be more than the wailing … perhaps there is some way to have the wailing make sense?"

"And that would be?" Sirius asked.

"No idea," Remus sighed.

**The nearest thing to it Harry had ever heard was the ghost orchestra at Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party, who had all been playing the musical saw. **

"So you'll have to fight ghost next task … interesting."

"I don't think it's going to be ghost, Fred," Percy said.

"**Shut it!" Fred bellowed, his hands over his ears. **

"**What was that?" said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg as Harry slammed it shut again. "Sounded like a banshee … Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!" **

"Wasn't his boggart last year a banshee?" Hermione said thoughtfully, "I wonder if he really meet a banshee … or if he just heard about them a lot."

"I don't know, never asked him," Ron said. "But there are supposed to be more banshees in Ireland, so there's a chance he has."

"**It was someone being tortured!" said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!" **

The Neville in the room eyes widen and he clutched his fist.

"They would not do that to the champions," Remus said calmly, his voice filled with sympathy. _And the Cruciatus Curse isn't something that can be fight,_ he added in his thoughts but knew that it wouldn't help Neville if he said that part out loud.

"**Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. **

"Sorry mate …" George started to say, feeling bad for calling him a prat when it came to this.

Neville grimaced and just shook his head, it's not like he didn't know he was a prat, and hearing that it couldn't be _that_ curse was a good thing.

**I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing … maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower. Harry." **

"Ha ha, very funny," Percy grumbled, glaring at the twins who were sniggering, though they weren't the only one laughing.

"**Want a jam tart, Hermione?" said Fred. **

**Hermione looked doubtfully at the plate he was offering her. Fred grinned. **

"Don't take it!" Ron snapped, and glared at Fred, who was now grinning probably much like his book self was doing. "If you bloody cursed her …"

"What?" Fred asked as Ron seemed unable to finish his threat. "What will you do?"

Hermione decided to keep reading, she was pleased that Ron was defending her and noticed that he wasn't sure what to say so she was trying to help her out.

"**It's all right," he said. "I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch –" **

**Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spat it out. Fred laughed. **

"**Just my little joke, Neville …" **

"That's not funny, you know," Hermione glared at him, she seemed to be in the minority, as several people where laughing, even Neville seemed to be amused.

**Hermione took a jam tart. Then she said, "Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?" **

"**Yep," said Fred, grinning at her. He put on a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf. "'Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!' They're dead helpful … get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish." **

"**How do you get in there?" Hermione said in an innocently casual sort of voice. **

"Oh no, Fred, don't fall of that," Fred warned, causing several people to laugh as he was over dramatizing things a bit. "She's trying to wheeled information out of you."

"You're a little sneak, aren't you," George added looking at Hermione impressed. "We better watch out for you."

"**Easy," said Fred, "concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and – " He stopped and looked suspiciously at her. "Why?" **

"I'm so disappointed in you Fred," Fred said again shaking his head.

"**Nothing," said Hermione quickly. **

"**Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?" said George. "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?" **

"That's not a bad idea," Hermione answered.

"Well, good luck with that," George said, confident that wasn't going to happen.

**Several people chortled. Hermione didn't answer. **

"**Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!" said Fred warningly. "You'll put them off their cooking!" **

"You don't need to worry about that, the elves have too much pride in their work to like anything substandard to show," Sirius said.

All that sentence did was angry Hermione more, but she stopped herself from saying anything. Teddy had told her to observe the elves, she'd start with this book.

**Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into a large canary. **

A few people started laughing, it was easy to picture what Neville must have looked like as George had become a canary not too long ago.

"**Oh – sorry, Neville!" Fred shouted over all the laughter. "I forgot – it was the custard creams we ****hexed – " **

**Within a minute, however, Neville had molted, and once his feathers had fallen off, he reappeared looking entirely normal. He even joined in laughing. **

Much like what was going on in the room, everyone was laughing. It was nice that they were reading a chapter that didn't have the on the edge of their seats and had a bit of light humor in it.

**"Canary Creams!" Fred shouted to the excitable crowd. "George and I invented them – seven Sickles each, a bargain!" **

"Seven Sickles, isn't that a bit much," Ginny questioned them.

"If you take in the cost it takes to buy the supplies and time we spent making them, than it's a fair price," George said. "It took us about four and a half Sickles a piece for the first batch. Though the next batch will probably be cheaper."

**It was nearly one in the morning when Harry finally went up to the dormitory with Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean. Before he pulled the curtains of his four-poster shut. Harry set his tiny model of the Hungarian Horntail on the table next to his bed, where it yawned, curled up, and closed its eyes. Really, Harry thought, as he pulled the hangings on his four-poster closed, Hagrid had a point … they were all right, really, dragons … **

"Oh no Harry, you've gone mad!" Fred groaned. "And at such a young age. It's just sad."

**The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter. Harry was glad of its fires and thick walls every time he passed the Durmstrang ship on the lake, which was pitching in the high winds, its black sails billowing against the dark skies. **

"Maybe they should get rooms in the castle," Juliet said, "it can't be good that they out in the cold and the wind."

"I don't know if they would mind the cold so much," Sirius said. "Durmstrang is in a much colder temperature than we are. I'm also sure they have ways to keep their ship insulated against bot the cold and the wind."

**He thought the Beauxbatons caravan was likely to be pretty chilly too. Hagrid, he noticed, was keeping Madame Maxime's horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey; the fumes wafting from the trough in the comer of their paddock was enough to make the entire Care of Magical Creatures class light-headed. This was unhelpful, as they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them. **

"No kidding, that is no time for us to be light-headed," Ron agreed with a groan.

"**I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. "Thought we'd jus' try an see if they fancied a kip … we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes …" **

**There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them. **

"I hope it never goes out of them and they finish each other off soon," Draco said.

**Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armor; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the skrewts the most repulsive things Harry had ever seen. The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets. **

"That reminds me of the crate that we put Norbert in," Hermione said and Harry nodded.

"Something tells me that the skrewts are going to like them just as about as much as Norbert did," he added.

"**We'll jus' lead 'em in here," Hagrid said, "an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens." **

**But the skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. **

"Oh, how shocking they wouldn't like that!" George snorted, that seemed like a really bad idea to him.

**Hagrid was soon yelling, "Don panic, now, don' panic!" while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes. Most of the class – Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in the lead – had fled into Hagrid's cabin through the back door and barricaded themselves in; Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were among those who remained outside trying to help Hagrid.**

"And you wonder which one of us are the smart one," Draco said. "Staying out there to help with those monsters …"

"And helping our friend," Ron said. "It might not be the smart move but it's the right one."

Draco rolled his eyes.

**Together they managed to restrain and tie up nine of the skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts; finally, only one skrewt was left. **

"**Don' frighten him, now!" Hagrid shouted as Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot jets of fiery sparks at the skrewt, which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back. "Jus' try an slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won hurt any o' the others!" **

"**Yeah, we wouldn't want that!" Ron shouted angrily as he and Harry backed into the wall of Hagrid's cabin, still holding the skrewt off with their sparks. **

"The killing part would be fine, but you really don't want to scare the skrewt," Teddy said, "most things tend to be more vicious when they're frightened."

"**Well, well, well… this does look like fun." **

**Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking in at the mayhem. **

"Go after her skrewts!" Fred cheered.

"Show that you have a use other than killing each other," George added.

**She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm. **

**Hagrid launched himself forward on top of the skrewt that was cornering Harry and Ron and flattened it; a blast of fire shot out of its end, withering the pumpkin plants nearby. **

"**Who're you?" Hagrid asked Rita Skeeter as he slipped a loop of rope around the skrewt's sting and tightened it. **

"**Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter," Rita replied, beaming at him. Her gold teeth glinted. **

"**Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore," said Hagrid, **

"Than how did she get in," Sirius asked.

"How did you get in?" Percy asked back to him. "If a wanted murder could get in why should an annoying reporter."

"I used the secret passageways," Sirius said, "there was no extra security put on them because Dumbledore didn't know about it. He knows now … right Remus."

"Yes, I told him about the passages that he hadn't known about at the end of the last term," Remus answered.

"How could you do such a horrible thing!" Fred gasped. "Now how are we …"

"Have to look for new passageways," George said, stepping on his brothers foot and looking at their mum. She was looking at them with narrowed eyes.

"Don't think I didn't notice you two … we will be discussing this once we have time," she said sternly.

"No need mum, they're closed off, so we can't use them," Fred pointed out but he knew by the farther narrowing eyes that this didn't help him.

"My point is, Dumbledore would probably make sure that no one could get in those ways," Sirius said. "And even if he didn't, it's hard to believe that Skeeter would know where they would be."

"So you think she found another way in," Remus questioned.

"She must of," Sirius grimaced.

**frowning slightly as he got off the slightly squashed skrewt and started tugging it over to its fellows. **

**Rita acted as though she hadn't heard what Hagrid had said. **

"**What are these fascinating creatures called?" she asked, beaming still more widely. **

"**Blast-Ended Skrewts," grunted Hagrid. **

"**Really?" said Rita, apparently full of lively interest. "I've never heard of them before … where do they come from?" **

**Harry noticed a dull red flush rising up out of Hagrid's wild black beard, and his heart sank. Where had Hagrid got the skrewts from? Hermione, who seemed to be thinking along these lines, said quickly, "They're very interesting, aren't they? Aren't they. Harry?" **

"Hermione, you've got to learn not to be so obviously when you're asking the boys to help you," Ginny said.

"If I'm not obviously, they don't take the hint." Hermione shrugged.

"**What? Oh yeah… ouch… interesting," said Harry as she stepped on his foot. **

"See, I even had to step on Harry's foot," Hermione smiled as Harry said, "hey!"

"**Ah, you're here. Harry!" said Rita Skeeter as she looked around. "So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?" **

"**Yes," said Harry stoutly. Hagrid beamed at him. **

"Is it really, or are you just being nice," Draco questioned, Harry made a face but didn't answer him.

"**Lovely," said Rita. "Really lovely. Been teaching long?" she added to Hagrid. Harry noticed her eyes travel over Dean (who had a nasty cut across one cheek). Lavender (whose robes were badly singed), Seamus (who was nursing several burnt fingers), and then to the cabin windows, where most of the class stood, their noses pressed against the glass waiting to see if the coast was clear. **

"**This is o'ny me second year," said Hagrid. **

"**Lovely … I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these – er – Bang- Ended Scoots." **

"**Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid said eagerly. "Er – yeah, why not?" **

"I don't like the sounds of this," Arthur said, and he could see the others looked like they agreed. "She never writes anything good, for one thing … but this has to be more than just talking to Hagrid …"

**Harry had a very bad feeling about this, but there was no way of communicating it to Hagrid without Rita Skeeter seeing, so he had to stand and watch in silence as Hagrid and Rita Skeeter made arrangements to meet in the Three Broomsticks for a good long interview later that week. Then the bell rang up at the castle, signaling the end of the lesson. **

"**Well, good-bye, Harry!" Rita Skeeter called merrily to him as he set off with Ron and Hermione. "Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!" **

"**She'll twist everything he says," Harry said under his breath. **

"**Just as long as he didn't import those skrewts illegally or anything," said Hermione desperately. They looked at one another – it was exactly the sort of thing Hagrid might do. **

"Unfortunately I fear it might be even worst than that," Remus sighed, the skwerts were like nothing he's heard of after all, and making creatures was worse than importing them.

"**Hagrids been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledores never sacked him," said Ron consolingly. "Worst that can happen is Hagrid'll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry … did I say worst? I meant best." **

"Well when you put it that way maybe this won't be such a bad thing," George said.

**Harry and Hermione laughed, and, feeling slightly more cheerful, went off to lunch. **

**Harry thoroughly enjoyed double Divination that afternoon; they were still doing star charts and predictions, but now that he and Ron were friends once more, the whole thing seemed very funny again. Professor Trelawney, who had been so pleased with the pair of them when they had been predicting their own horrific deaths, quickly became irritated as they sniggered through her explanation of the various ways in which Pluto could disrupt everyday life. **

"I don't think sniggering in class is recommend behavior," Tonks said.

"It's the only way we can get through the cause without being bored or falling asleep," Ron shrugged, ignoring the look his mum was giving him.

"**I would think," she said, in a mystical whisper that did not conceal her obvious annoyance, "that some of us" – she stared very meaningfully at Harry – "might be a little less frivolous had they seen what I have seen during my crystal gazing last night. As I sat here, absorbed in my needlework, the urge to consult the orb overpowered me. I arose, I settled myself before it, and I gazed into its crystalline depths … and what do you think I saw gazing back at me?" **

"**An ugly old bat in outsize specs?" Ron muttered under his breath. **

Several people laughed.

"Ronald, don't say that about your professors," Molly complained, but she was the one not laughing, Hermione, though usually would not laugh at this comment, was probably laughing the hardest.

"Yes, Mum," Ron said, looking down so she wouldn't seem him roll his eyes.

**Harry fought hard to keep his face straight. **

"**Death, my dears." **

**Parvati and Lavender both put their hands over their mouths, looking horrified. **

Hermione couldn't help rolling her eyes, she couldn't believe how much those two bought into this crap.

"**Yes," said Professor Trelawney, nodding impressively, "it comes, ever closer, it circles overhead like a vulture, ever lower … ever lower over the castle …" She stared pointedly at Harry, who yawned very widely and obviously. **

"Harry," Molly said in a shook tone, he usually showed more consideration than that.

"I've heard her predicting my death for a year already, I don't need to hear more of it," Harry shrugged.

"**It'd be a bit more impressive if she hadn't done it about eighty times before," Harry said as they finally regained the fresh air of the staircase beneath Professor Trelawney's room. "But if I'd dropped dead every time she's told me I'm going to, I'd be a medical miracle." **

"Harry, you _are_ a medical miracle," Bill pointed out. "What with surviving the Killing curse and all."

"**You'd be a sort of extra-concentrated ghost," said Ron, chortling, as they passed the Bloody Baron going in the opposite direction, his wide eyes staring sinisterly. **

"**At least we didn't get homework. I hope Hermione got loads off Professor Vector, I love not working when she is …" **

Hermione looked up so she could give him a look and he shrugged.

**But Hermione wasn't at dinner, nor was she in the library when they went to look for her afterward. The only person in there was Viktor Krum. Ron hovered behind the bookshelves for a while, watching Krum, debating in whispers with Harry whether he should ask for an autograph **

The twins sniggered at this and Hermione's tone sounded amused as she read this.

– **but then Ron realized that six or seven girls were lurking in the next row of books, debating exactly the same thing, and he lost his enthusiasm for the idea. **

There was more laughter after that and this time all of Ron's siblings joined in, which had Ron cursing the book again.

"**Wonder where she's got to?" Ron said as he and Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower. **

"**Dunno… balderdash." **

**But the Fat Lady had barely begun to swing forward when the sound of racing feet behind them announced Hermione's arrival. **

"**Harry!" she panted, skidding to a halt beside him (the Fat Lady stared down at her, eyebrows raised. "Harry, you've got to come – you've got to come, the most amazing thing's happened – please –"**

**She seized Harry's arm and started to try to drag him back along the corridor. **

"Merlin Hermione, what did you find?" Ron asked, she wasn't usually this exited, but when it happened it was something she thought was important.

"I don't know, do I," Hermione asked, wondering like he was what she had found.

**"What's the matter?" Harry said. **

"**I'll show you when we get there – oh come on, quick –" **

**Harry looked around at Ron; he looked back at Harry, intrigued. **

"Oy, stop laughing, that wasn't even funny," Ron grumbled as the twins as they were indeed laughing.

"It is a bit funny," Fred said. "She intrigues you huh?"

"Whatever," Ron grumbled, his ear turning read.

"**Okay," Harry said, starting off back down the corridor with Hermione, Ron hurrying to keep up. **

"**Oh don't mind me!" the Fat Lady called irritably after them. "Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?" **

"**Yeah, thanks!" Ron shouted over his shoulder. **

"That might not be such a good idea," Percy said. "Anyone can get in now."

"I don't think that's really important to the story," Bill pointed out to him reasonably.

"**Hermione, where are we going?" Harry asked, after she had led them down through six floors, and started down the marble staircase into the entrance hall. **

"That's when you ask her … six floors down?" George said.

"Well I asked her upstairs too, but she didn't answer," Harry said.

"**You'll see, you'll see in a minute!" said Hermione excitedly. **

**She turned left at the bottom of the staircase and hurried toward the door through which Cedric Diggory had gone the night after the Goblet of Fire had regurgitated his and Harry's names. **

"Oh I know where you're going," Sirius said, "of course it's there."

"Where?" the trio asked at the same time.

"Never you mind, you can wait to see when you get there," Fred said he said to Hermione, as it seemed like what she was doing in the book. Hermione made a face at him and then started reading.

**Harry had never been through here before. He and Ron followed Hermione down a flight of stone steps, but instead of ending up in a gloomy underground passage like the one that led to Snape's dungeon, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food. **

"**Oh hang on …" said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor. "Wait a minute, Hermione …" **

"**What?" She turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face. **

Ron smiled, he would have liked to see how she looked in that moment.

"**I know what this is about," said Harry. **

**He nudged Ron and pointed to the painting just behind Hermione. It showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl. **

"Oh," a few people said as others said "it's the kitchen."

"**Hermione!" said Ron, cottoning on. "You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!" **

"**No, no, I'm not!" she said hastily. "And it's not spew, Ron – " **

"**Changed the name, have you?" said Ron, frowning at her. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? **

"Why are you glaring at me? I didn't say that," Ron said as Hermione continued to glare.

"That's a pretty good name," Juliet said her tone amused, "perhaps you should use a name like that instead of something that gets confused with spew."

Ron raised an eyebrow at Hermione as she mumbled something and realized that just might have been why she had been glaring at him … for coming up with a better name. He smirked at her and she narrowed her eyes farther making her glare more deadly than before.

**I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it –" **

"How about going in there to ask them to whip you up something," Ginny asked, "I'm sure you'd do that."

"**I'm not asking you to!" Hermione said impatiently. "I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found – oh come on, Harry, I want to show you!" **

**She seized his arm again, pulled him in front of the picture of the giant fruit bowl, stretched out her forefinger, and tickled the huge green pear. It began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into a large green door handle. Hermione seized it, pulled the door open, and pushed Harry hard in the back, forcing him inside. **

"So obviously I don't have a choice in the matter," Harry said halfway between amused and annoyed.

"Hermione, you really shouldn't be that forceful," Juliet sighed.

"Sorry," Hermione mumbled, she normally didn't act this way … what had gotten into her?

**He had one brief glimpse of an enormous, high-ceilinged room, large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, when something small hurtled toward him from the middle of the room, squealing, "Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!" **

**Next second all the wind had been knocked out of him as the squealing elf hit him hard in the midriff, hugging him so tightly he thought his ribs would break. **

"**D-Dobby?" Harry gasped. **

"It is Dobby!" the Harry in the room gasped along with his book self, he had thought maybe … "I didn't know he was in Hogwarts."

"I don't Winky say he was out of work at the Cup," Hermione reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Harry said, "I guess he decided to go to Dumbledore for a job … I'm glad he found somewhere he can work."

"**It is Dobby, sir, it is!" squealed the voice from somewhere around his navel. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!" **

**Dobby let go and stepped back a few paces, beaming up at Harry, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness. He looked almost exactly as Harry remembered him; the pencil-shaped nose, the batlike ears, the long fingers and feet – all except the clothes, which were very different. When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys, he had always worn the same filthy old pillowcase. **

"Why the hell did you make him were that old thing, anyways?" Harry asked looking at Draco. "I mean you couldn't have liked seeing the elf like that … you could have given him something nicer to wear."

"Do you really think I have anything to do with what the elves in my house wear?" Draco asked back.

**Now, however, he was wearing the strangest assortment of garments Harry had ever seen; he had done an even worse job of dressing himself than the wizards at the World Cup. He was wearing a tea cozy for a hat, on which he had pinned a number of bright badges; a tie patterned with horseshoes over a bare chest, a pair of what looked like children's soccer shorts, and odd socks. One of these, Harry saw, was the black one Harry had removed from his own foot and tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby, thereby setting Dobby free. The other was covered in pink and orange stripes. **

"What are you talking about Harry, that sounds like a great outfit," Fred said.

"I think I'll wear my matching one tomorrow," George answered.

"**Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry said in amazement. **

"**Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!" Dobby squealed excitedly. "Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!" **

"**Winky?" said Harry. "She's here too?" **

"That's good, she'll need a place to be after … what happened to her," Hermione said, looking at Percy who rolled his eyes at the comment.

"**Yes, sir, yes!" said Dobby, and he seized Harry's hand and pulled him off into the kitchen between the four long wooden tables that stood there. Each of these tables, Harry noticed as he passed them, was positioned exactly beneath the four House tables above, in the Great Hall. At the moment, they were clear of food, dinner having finished, but he supposed that an hour ago they had been laden with dishes that were then sent up through the ceiling to their counterparts above. **

"Is that how it works?" Hermione said, intrigued by the magic involved but knowing it involved elves she was trying not to be.

**At least a hundred little elves were standing around the kitchen, beaming, bowing, and curtsying as Dobby led Harry past them. **

"A hundred," Hermione gasped, "there's at least a hundred elves at Hogwarts."

"I'd thought you think that was a good thing … at least the poor little guys weren't being over worked," Ron pointed out, though his tone was teasing.

"There's so many elves being repressed," Hermione said.

**They were all wearing the same uniform: a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and tied, as Winky's had been, like a toga. **

**Dobby stopped in front of the brick fireplace and pointed. **

"**Winky, sir!" he said. **

**Winky was sitting on a stool by the fire. Unlike Dobby, she had obviously not foraged for clothes. She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in it for her large ears. However, while every one of Dobby's strange collection of garments was so clean and well cared for that it looked brand-new, Winky was plainly not taking care other clothes at all. There were soup stains all down her blouse and a burn in her skirt. **

Remus sighed, that wasn't a good sign. Most elf took great care in their appearance, it was a point of pried with them. It had been odd to hear that Dobby had such a filthy outfit before, but the elf had been unhappy so it made a sort of sense. Winky must still be very upset that she hadn't bother to take good care of herself.

"**Hello, Winky," said Harry. **

**Winky's lip quivered. Then she burst into tears, which spilled out of her great brown eyes and splashed down her front, just as they had done at the Quidditch World Cup. **

"**Oh dear," said Hermione. She and Ron had followed Harry and Dobby to the end of the kitchen. "Winky, don't cry, please don't …" **

**But Winky cried harder than ever. Dobby, on the other hand, beamed up at Harry. **

"**Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?" he squeaked loudly, over Winky's sobs. **

"Why is he ignoring her like that," Hermione demanded. "They're friends aren't they … he should care that she so obviously upset."

"I think the probably is, she's been like that since what happened at the World Cup," Teddy said. "I'm not sure if there's much Dobby can do to help her."

"**Er – yeah, okay," said Harry. **

**Instantly, about six house-elves came trotting up behind him, bearing a large silver tray laden with a teapot, cups for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a milk jug, and a large plate of biscuits. **

"Awesome," Ron beamed, "we're so going to the kitchen when we get to Hogwarts."

"Ron!" Hermione groaned, giving him a look.

"What? Hermione it's free food … at any time!" Ron said, "I'm not going to pass that up."

"Argh," Hermione groaned and let it go, there was no arguing with him when it came to his stomach.

"**Good service!" Ron said, in an impressed voice. Hermione frowned at him, but the elves all looked delighted; they bowed very low and retreated. **

"See, I'm nice to them and they're happy," Ron said as if that settled the matter.

"**How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked as Dobby handed around the tea. **

"**Only a week. Harry Potter, sir!" said Dobby happily. **

"Only a week," Harry sighed, "I wish I could tell him to go to Hogwarts before then … well that is if he's happy here."

"He sounds like he's happy," Ron commented.

**"Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed -" **

**At this, Winky howled even harder, her squashed-tomato of a nose dribbling all down her front, though she made no effort to stem the flow. **

"**Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!" Dobby squeaked. "But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!" **

**The house-elves all around the kitchen, who had been listening and watching with interest, all looked away at these words, as though Dobby had said something rude and embarrassing. **

"Why would they look away … they should get paid," Hermione groaned.

"They don't see it that way," Teddy said sadly, "they see getting paid as something that is disgraceful to their kind."

"Has that changed in the future?" Hermione asked him.

Teddy hesitated wondering if he should answered and then decided it was already. "No. Not the pay. You're working on how they are treated on the job and ways to get a more secure job if they are mistreated. Getting them paid is low on your list."

"So I'm not going to get them freed," Hermione said.

"No … you haven't yet," Teddy said. "You're working on bettering their lives."

**Hermione, however, said, "Good for you, Dobby!" **

"**Thank you, miss!" said Dobby, grinning toothily at her. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. 'That's not the point of a house-elf,' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! **

"You'd think there would be someone that was willing to pay a house elf," Hermione complained.

**Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid. Harry Potter … Dobby likes being free!" **

**The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious. Winky, however, remained where she was, though there was a definite increase in the volume of her crying. **

"**And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!" said Dobby delightedly. **

**At this, Winky flung herself forward off her stool and lay face-down on the flagged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery. Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference. Dobby continued with his story, shouting shrilly over Winky's screeches. **

"Hmph," Hermione couldn't help but huff at Dobby just ignoring her and talking over her. But she couldn't get it out of her head what Teddy had just said, about her being like this since the Cup … it was month for that day and she was still so upset …

"**And then Dobby had the idea. Harry Potter, sir! 'Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. 'Where is there enough work for two house elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!" **

"More importantly he should have been asking where would someone take on two elves, one that's wanting paying and the other that too depress to work properly," Ron said.

"Why can't you be more sensitive to them," Hermione asked.

"No, that wasn't a joke," Ron said exasperated. "I just meant that Hogwarts and Dumbledore is probably the only one that would take the both of them and give them a place they wanted."

**Dobby beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes again. **

"**And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!" **

"**That's not very much!" Hermione shouted indignantly from the floor, **

Hermione would have said the same thing, if she had not being reading the book.

**over Winky's continued screaming and fist-beating. **

"**Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off," said Dobby, suddenly giving a little shiver, as though the prospect of so much leisure and riches were frightening, "but Dobby beat him down, miss … Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better." **

"Well Dumbledore at least offered him a fair rate," Hermione mumbled. _And if Dumbledore gave in to Dobby he must have realized the elf wouldn't have taken more … hm … I am going to have to work on thi_s, she continued to think.

"Er Hermione? Are you going to read?" Ron prompted her.

"What … of course," Hermione said blushing slightly.

"**And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?" Hermione asked kindly. **

**If she had thought this would cheer up Winky, she was wildly mistaken. Winky did stop crying, but when she sat up she was glaring at Hermione through her massive brown eyes, her whole face sopping wet and suddenly furious. **

"That doesn't sound like the best question for you to ask," Fred said, "you might want to make a note of that for future reference."

Hermione nodded her head, he might just be joking around, but it wasn't a bad suggest.

"**Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!" she squeaked. "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!" **

I need to something about that, they shouldn't feel ashamed for being freed, especially when they haven't done anything wrong,** Hermione made a note for herself . **

"**Ashamed?" said Hermione blankly. "But – Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you -" **

**But at these words, Winky clapped her hands over the holes in her hat, flattening her ears so that she couldn't hear a word, and screeched, "You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!" **

"Man Perce, she sounds a lot like you when you go on about Mr. Crouch," George chuckled.

"**Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter," squeaked Dobby confidentially. "Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it." **

"**Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?" Harry asked. **

"**Oh no, sir, no," said Dobby, looking suddenly serious. "'Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. **

Harry frowned, Dobby had come to him with some of his master secrets but hadn't really said them to him.

**We upholds the family's honor, and we never speaks ill of them – though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to – to –" **

**Dobby looked suddenly nervous and beckoned Harry closer. Harry bent forward. **

**Dobby whispered, "He said we is free to call him a – a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!" **

"Well he is one," Fred agreed chuckling along with a few of the others.

Hermione was nodding her head, Dumbledore was at least trying to help the elves, trying to allow Dobby to have freedom in his work. It probably would help her a lot if she was able to talk to him about this issue, but that didn't seem very likely.

**Dobby gave a frightened sort of giggle. **

"**But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter," he said, talking normally again, and shaking his head so that his ears flapped. "Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him." **

"**But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?" Harry asked him, grinning. **

"I bet he can tell us all kinds of stuff about that," Harry smiled.

"He wouldn't," Draco said nervously, he didn't know what Dobby knew about his dad but it was probably more than what was good for anyone to know.

"He may be right," Remus said. "I'm fear that it's would be difficult for even Dobby to go against his nature."

**A slightly fearful look came into Dobby's immense eyes. **

"**Dobby – Dobby could," he said doubtfully. He squared his small shoulders. "Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were – were – bad Dark wizards'." **

**Dobby stood for a moment, quivering all over, horror-struck by his own daring – then he rushed over to the nearest table and began banging his head on it very hard, squealing, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!" **

Harry sighed and bowed his head, "it looks like you're right, Remus."

Draco shook his head, they probably had a gold mine of dirt on his dad, but they won't use it because the stupid elf was banging his head. _You've got to love noble head gits at times like this._

**Harry seized Dobby by the back of his tie and pulled him away from the table. **

"**Thank you. Harry Potter, thank you," said Dobby breathlessly, rubbing his head. **

"**You just need a bit of practice," Harry said. **

"**Practice!" squealed Winky furiously. "You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!" **

"**They isn't my masters anymore, Winky!" said Dobby defiantly. "Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!" **

"He's such a strong willed little elf, you should probably get him to help you speak to the others," Remus said. "Or to get him as you're representation to others."

"I thought you didn't want me to do those things," Hermione said slightly confused.

"I think you should take more time studying the issue before diving into them, but I won't argue against the fact that a change in their status and treatment would be good. Dobby is odd for an elf, but he is confident in his belief, if you could somehow get him to work with you I think it would help."

Teddy tried not to react at all as he thought about this. He didn't know much about Dobby at all, other than his grave was in Bill and Fleur's yard and that Harry had cared deeply for the elf. He was starting to see why.

"**Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!" moaned Winky, tears leaking down her face once more. "My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her … oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!" She buried her face in her skirt again and bawled. **

"So the elves family stay in one wizarding family?" Duncan summed up.

"Usually yes," Remus answered, "they stay with the family until they are either get freed, die or are given to a new family as a gift. Sometimes it's still the family, like a second son, and some times it's as a gift of good will, to help make a deal go off as planned, or something of the kind."

"**Winky," said Hermione firmly, "I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We've seen him, you know -" **

"**You is seeing my master?" said Winky breathlessly, raising her tearstained face out of her skirt once more and goggling at Hermione. "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?" **

"**Yes," said Hermione, "he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament." **

"**Mr. Bagman comes too?" squeaked Winky, and to Harry's great surprise (and Ron's and Hermione's too, by the looks on their faces), she looked angry again. "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!" **

"What?" Sirius said, looking as surprised as the trio seemed to be in the book, as were most of the people in the room. "Bagman isn't bad."

"Obviously Mr. Crouch doesn't like him," Percy said, thinking that there might be something to this if that was the case.

"Sorry, but that's not exactly filling me with confidence," Sirius said.

"**Bagman – bad?" said Harry. **

"**Oh yes," Winky said, nodding her head furiously, "My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying … Winky – Winky keeps her master's secrets …" **

"She obviously knows more than she's saying," Bill said.

"Really … I couldn't tell that," Fred said sarcastically, "man, Bill, you're a genius."

"Thanks," Bill smiled calmly at him. "It would be nice if you could get more out of her."

"We're not going to interrogate Winky," Hermione said hotly, "the poor elf has been through enough she doesn't need more questioned asked of her."

**She dissolved yet again in tears; they could hear her sobbing into her skirt, "Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!" **

**They couldn't get another sensible word out of Winky. They left her to her crying and finished their tea, while Dobby chatted happily about his life as a free elf and his plans for his wages. **

"**Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter!" he said happily, pointing at his bare chest. **

"**Tell you what, Dobby," said Ron, who seemed to have taken a great liking to the elf, **

"Well what's not to like," Ron said as the other looked at him.

**"I'll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas, I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?" **

"You're just going to give away the sweater I make you?" Molly asked him looking hurt.

"I'm not just giving it away, Mum," Ron said. "I'm sure Dobby will appreciate it a lot, and it being a personal gift will make it even better for him."

"I see," Molly said, it was a kind thing to do but she still wish that she would keep the sweater, she had made it especially for him.

**Dobby was delighted. **

"**We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you," Ron told him, "but it'll go well with your tea cozy." **

**As they prepared to take their leave, many of the surrounding elves pressed in upon them, offering snacks to take back upstairs. Hermione refused, with a pained look at the way the elves kept bowing and curtsying, but Harry and Ron loaded their pockets with cream cakes and pies. **

"Of course you did," Hermione grumbled and the boys smiled at her.

"**Thanks a lot!" Harry said to the elves, who had all clustered around the door to say good night. "See you, Dobby!" **

"**Harry Potter … can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?" Dobby asked tentatively. **

"'**Course you can," said Harry, and Dobby beamed. **

"**You know what?" said Ron, once he, Hermione, and Harry had left the kitchens behind and were climbing the steps into the entrance hall again. "All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens – well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!" **

"We never said it was impressive," Fred pointed out, "but it is all about knowing where to go."

"**I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know," said Hermione, leading the way back up the marble staircase. "Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too!" **

"I wouldn't go that far," Sirius said, "I know Remus thinks so …"

"I don't think that," Remus corrected. "I think he could help, and if he is used the right way he would be helpful. I still don't think it would be easy."

"**Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky," said Harry. **

"**Oh she'll cheer up," said Hermione, though she sounded a bit doubtful. "Once the shock's worn off, and she's got used to Hogwarts, she'll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man." **

Remus grimaced, thinking that wasn't true … sure that this wasn't something that Winky could get over.

"**She seems to love him," said Ron thickly (he had just started on a cream cake). **

"**Doesn't think much of Bagman, though, does she?" said Harry. "Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?" **

"**Probably says he's not a very good Head of Department," said Hermione, "and let's face it … he's got a point, hasn't he?" **

"Come on Hermione, he's a great head for that department," Sirius said. "He has the right energy about him … so I can't see him being good on the paperwork side of things, but he had his advantages."

"**I'd still rather work for him than old Crouch," said Ron. "At least Bagman's got a sense of humor." **

"**Don't let Percy hear you saying that," Hermione said, smiling slightly. **

"Too late," George grinned.

Percy was glaring at Ron for his comment. "Some people care more about work than a sense of humor."

"Yeah, well I'd want a bit of work but to be able to have a sense of humor at the same time," Ron said.

"**Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?" said Ron, now starting on a chocolate eclair. "Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy." **

The twins sniggered as Percy glared at Ron more than ever. It wasn't really what Ron was saying, he knew he didn't have much of a sense of humor, but didn't like that it was Ron that was saying it.

"That's the end of the chapter," Hermione announced, passing the book so that it would get to Arthur.


	23. The Unexpected Task

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty Three

The Unexpected Task

"**The Unexpected Task," **Arthur read with a tone of amusement, having a feeling he knew what this was going to be about.

"**Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?"**

"We are paying attention, Dad, no need to yell at us," Fred said.

"Or resort to calling us by our last name … that's just rude," George added with mock annoyance.

Arthur smiled at his twin sons before he started reading again.

**Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class on Thursday, and Harry and Ron both jumped and looked up.**

**It was the end of the lesson; they had finished their work; the guinea fowl they had been changing into guinea pigs had been shut away in a large cage on Professor McGonagall's desk (Neville's still had feathers); they had copied down their homework from the blackboard ("Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches").**

Hemione's eyes lit up, she could study that question now and be prepared for this lesson well in advance.

**The bell was due to ring at any moment, and Harry and Ron, who had been having a sword fight with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands at the back of the class, looked up, Ron holding a tin parrot and Harry, a rubber haddock.**

"Seriously, you were sword fighting," Hermione turned to the boys rolling her eyes, that was so childish.

"What? It's fun to mess around every once in a while," Ron shrugged.

"**Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the pair of them as the head of Harry's haddock drooped and fell silently to the floor – Ron's parrot's beak had severed it moments before**

"Ha ha, I won," Ron cheered cause a few people to laugh and others to roll their eyes.

– **"I have something to say to you all.**

"**The Yule Ball is approaching**

"The Yule what?" Ron asked, the grin he just had slipped off his face, he really didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Ball, Ron, the Yule Ball," Fred said with a grin. "What's the matter, you look pale …?"

"Shut up!" Ron hissed at him.

– **a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above – although you may invite a younger student if you wish – "**

**Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry, Professor McGonagall ignored them, which Harry thought was distinctly unfair, as she had just told off him and Ron.**

"That is true, but there's really no use telling off girls when there just told about balls, they get really giggly and annoying," George said.

"Where you even there when there was a ball?" Bill asked him.

"Yes, there was one in our first year, the Defense professor of the year wanted to throw one," Fred answered. "All the girls in our year went mad and we weren't even allowed to go to the stupid thing."

"So you don't like the idea of the Yule Ball either?" Bill wondered.

"What are you kidding?" Fred snorted, "this is an excellent to get a girl, if you know what I mean," he wiggled his eyebrow.

"You better not be saying what I think you're saying Fredrick Weasley," Molly glared at him.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of that," Fred said, "er, but just so I know, what are you thinking I'm thinking?"

"Oh never you mind," Molly said turning red.

"**Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then -" Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class. **"**The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to – er – let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice.**

**Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Harry could see what was funny this time: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.**

"That's true, she's not really one to let her hair down," Sirius sniggered. "But you should see her when she's drunk. It doesn't happen often, mind you, but when it does it's brilliant."

"**But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."**

"She talking to you, Harry," George said.

"I think it's more likely she talking to you," Harry said, "you guys are the troublemakers."

"She can't be talking to us, we're not there," Fred reminded him.

"Whatever, you guys are still more likely to cause trouble," Harry grumbled.

**The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.**

**Professor McGonagall called above the noise, "Potter – a word, if you please."**

**Assuming this had something to do with his headless rubber haddock, Harry proceeded gloomily to the teacher's desk.**

"She would have asked Ron to go with you too if that was the case," Tonks pointed out.

Harry looked at her, that was a good point, but why else would McGonagall be calling him up?

**Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said, "Potter, the champions and their partners -"**

"**What partners?" said Harry.**

**Profesor McGonagall looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny.**

Remus and Sirius looked at each other with a sad smile, James would have asked that question too, only he would have been trying to be funny.

"**Your partners for the Yule Ball, Potter," she said coldly. "Your dance partners."**

**Harry's insides seemed to curl up and shrivel.**

There was good nature laughter for several people in the room as Harry groaned. "I have to dance!"

"Yes, that's what one does at a ball," George said.

"**Dance partners?" He felt himself going red. "I don't dance," he said quickly.**

"**Oh yes, you do," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball."**

"In front of everyone!" Harry added, his miserable expression turned horrified in a flash.

**Harry had a sudden mental image of himself in a top hat and tails, accompanied by a girl in the sort of frilly dress Aunt Petunia always wore to Uncle Vernon's work parties.**

"If that's your only problem you don't have to worry," Fred informed him, "you'll be wearing dress robes and so will the girls."

"That's not my only problem," Harry mumbled.

_Dress robes!_ Ron repeated in his thoughts, remembering the hideous things that were described in an earlier chapter … _bloody hell, I can't go out wearing those things._

"**I'm not dancing," he said.**

"**It is traditional," said Professor McGonagall firmly. "You are a Hogwarts champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter."**

"But not pressure or anything," George said.

"You'd only look like the biggest prat in the world if you can't get a girl to go with you," Fred added.

"And then you'd probably have to dance by yourself for the opening," George went on.

"Shut it!" Harry snapped at them.

"**But – I don't –"**

"**You heard me, Potter," said Professor McGonagall in a very final sort of way.**

**A week ago Harry would have said finding a partner for a dance would be a cinch compared to taking on a Hungarian Horntail. But now that he had done the latter, and was facing the prospect of asking a girl to the ball, he thought he'd rather have another round with the dragon.**

Almost everyone was laughing at that as the Harry in the room nodded his head. After all he heard of a way to get passed the dragon hadn't he, asking a girl … and he was pretty sure which girl he would want to ask and that didn't make the prospect any easier … out sounded pretty hard.

**Harry had never known so many people to put their names down to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas; he always did, of course, because the alternative was usually going back to Privet Drive, but he had always been very much in the minority before now. This year, however, everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be staying, and they all seemed to Harry to be obsessed with the coming ball – or at least all the girls were, and it was amazing how many girls Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold; he had never quite noticed that before. Girls giggling and whispering in the corridors, girls shrieking with laughter as boys passed them, girls excitedly comparing notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night …**

"See, that's what I was talking about," Fred said. "Bloody annoying."

"**Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry. "How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"**

"**Lasso one?" Ron suggested.**

"They're not animals you know," Sirius said laughing. "Just go up to them and ask to speak to one of them alone, it's not that hard."

"Maybe not for you, but I don't think I can do that," Harry said, just thinking about it made him feel a little ill.

"Harry, you're famous, you're a champion and you've got a mysterious air about you," Sirius said. "You don't have anything to worry about. Just use a bit of confidence and you'll be fine."

Harry sighed, he didn't see how that advise would help him, even though he nodded his head at Sirius. He didn't feel any more confident about asking Cho out than he did a moment ago.

**"Got any idea who you're going to try?"**

"Don't worry about answer that one, I think I already know," Ron smiled. "I think Sirius is right mate, if you just ask her confident and all, she'd want to go with you. She was nice to you before when you were a pariah at school …"

"Yeah that's helping," Harry grumbled.

Ginny glanced at the two of them talking, she couldn't help being upset that Harry wanted to go with another girl, and be even more upset that she herself would never be on his list of people he wanted to go with. She would do almost anything to be able to go to the ball with Harry, it would be so romantic.

"So Ronniekins, now that we have Harry covered, how about you tell us who you want to go with?" George asked with a evil knowing look in his eyes.

Ron's ears turned red and he struggled to not look at Hermione. She was the only girl that he could think of that he would have fun going with, but she would never want to go with him, not with his hideous robes …

"We're waiti – " George started to add on but Arthur started reading, he could tell that Ron didn't want to answer the question and he didn't want his youngest son to be teased by the twins more.

**Harry didn't answer. He knew perfectly well whom he'd like to ask, but working up the nerve was something else … Cho was a year older than he was; she was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch player, and she was also very popular.**

"The year older bit is something you have working against you, most girls your age are looking for older man not younger," Sirius said, "but Ron had …"

"Look, I don't need encouragement on this, okay," Harry said, these type of comments seem to only be making this situation worse for him.

"Okay … we'll see how you do, and then I can give you pointers afterward," Sirius agreed and Harry groaned and dropped his head into his hands, he was sure he didn't like the sounds of that.

**Ron seemed to know what was going on inside Harry's head.**

"**Listen, you're not going to have any trouble. You're a champion. You've just beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you."**

**In tribute to their recently repaired friendship, Ron had kept the bitterness in his voice to a bare minimum.**

_That's hard to believe,_ Ron thought to himself, he really couldn't see how Harry could be so nervous about asking a girl out when he had all that. Ron, himself, didn't really have anything to offer.

Harry looked at his friend, who was no bowing his head, looking pretty dejected. "You've got things to offer too …"

Ron turned to look at him with a glare, "Don't."

"I mean it …"

"I mean it Harry, stop," Ron said, his eyes flickering to his brothers who were sniggering (the twins), or trying not to smile (Bill and Percy).

Harry sighed, he was just trying to repay Ron for what he said, but it seemed like he wasn't doing a good job of that.

**Moreover, to Harry's amazement, he turned out to be quite right.**

**A curly-haired third-year Hufflepuff girl to whom Harry had never spoken in his life asked him to go to the ball with her the very next day. Harry was so taken aback he said no before he'd even stopped to consider the matter. The girl walked off looking rather hurt, and Harry had to endure Dean's, Seamus's, and Ron's taunts about her all through History of Magic.**

"That's not very nice," Hermione glared at Ron, the only one of the three boys that were here.

"They're probably all jealous," Tonks reasoned.

**The following day, two more girls asked him, a second year and (to his horror) a fifth year who looked as though she might knock him out if he refused.**

"So I guess we know who you're going with now, ah Harry," George smiled.

"I don't think so," Fred argued, "Harry too fearless to let getting knocked out stop him from saying no."

"**She was quite good-looking," said Ron fairly, after he'd stopped laughing.**

"**She was a foot taller than me," said Harry, still unnerved. "Imagine what I'd look like trying to dance with her."**

"Is that all you care about … how she looks?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry grumbled, "you heard … I already have someone I want to ask …" he added this part quietly.

**Hermione's words about Krum kept coming back to him. "They only like him because he's famous!" Harry doubted very much if any of the girls who had asked to be his partner so far would have wanted to go to the ball with him if he hadn't been a school champion.**

"Don't be ridiculous Harry," George said.

"I'm sure some of them wanted to go with you because you're the Boy-Who-Lived," George added.

**Then he wondered if this would bother him if Cho asked him.**

"I doubt it," was the general consensus of the group.

**On the whole, Harry had to admit that even with the embarrassing prospect of opening the ball before him, life had definitely improved since he had got through the first task. He wasn't attracting nearly as much unpleasantness in the corridors anymore, which he suspected had a lot to do with Cedric – he had an idea Cedric might have told the Hufflepuffs to leave Harry alone, in gratitude for Harry's tipoff about the dragons.**

"That was decent of him," Tonks said, _and that's showing his house spirit._

**There seemed to be fewer Support Cedric Diggory! badges around too. Draco Malfoy, of course, was still quoting Rita Skeeter's article to him at every possible opportunity, but he was getting fewer and fewer laughs out of it – and just to heighten Harry's feeling of well-being, no story about Hagrid had appeared in the Daily Prophet.**

"Well that's a relief," Harry said.

"And that doesn't sound like Skeeter," Remus frowned, wondering why she hadn't done another story already. She must be digging for the worst pit of gossip she can find.

"**She didn' seem very int'rested in magical creatures, ter tell yeh the truth," Hagrid said, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione asked him how his interview with Rita Skeeter had gone during the last Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the term. To their very great relief, Hagrid had given up on direct contact with the skrewts now, and they were merely sheltering behind his cabin today, sitting at a trestle table and preparing a fresh selection of food with which to tempt the skrewts.**

"**She jus' wanted me ter talk about you, Harry," Hagrid continued in a low voice. "Well, I told her we'd been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys. 'Never had to tell him off in four years?' she said. 'Never played you up in lessons, has he?' I told her no, an she didn' seem happy at all. Yeh'd think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry."**

Remus sighed, that was what he was afraid of.

"'**Course she did," said Harry, throwing lumps of dragon liver into a large metal bowl and picking up his knife to cut some more. "She can't keep writing about what a tragic little hero I am, it'll get boring."**

"Not to mention it's quite a bit nicer than her normal form of story telling," Bill supplied. "She like going the jugular, that one doesn't."

"**She wants a new angle, Hagrid," said Ron wisely as he shelled salamander eggs. "You were supposed to say Harry's a mad delinquent!"**

"**But he's not!" said Hagrid, looking genuinely shocked.**

"I don't know about that, he can be sometimes," Ron said jokingly and Harry punched his arm.

"**She should've interviewed Snape," said Harry grimly. "He'd give her the goods on me any day. 'Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school … '"**

"Harry don't say that too loudly, she might actually take your suggestion," Ron warned seriously this time, Snape would give a lot dirt on Harry that could probably fill a book.

"**Said that, did he?" said Hagrid, while Ron and Hermione laughed. "Well, yeh might've bent a few rules. Harry, bu' yeh're all righ' really, aren' you?"**

"**Cheers, Hagrid," said Harry, grinning.**

"**You coming to this ball thing on Christmas Day, Hagrid?" said Ron.**

"**Though' I might look in on it, yeah," said Hagrid gruffly. "Should be a good do, I reckon. You'll be openin the dancin', won yeh, Harry? Who're you takin'?"**

"**No one, yet," said Harry, feeling himself going red again. Hagrid didn't pursue the subject.**

**The last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. Rumors about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere, though Harry didn't believe half of them – for instance, that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta.**

"Oh come on Dumbledore, you can get a bit of mead for the kids, it'd be a fun experience," Sirius said.

"Obviously you haven't gone too parent like," Remus noted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius questioned.

"Well the way you were worrying about Harry earlier I thought maybe you've become responsible, it's nice to know it's not too much so," Remus explained.

**It seemed to be fact, however, that he had booked the Weird Sisters. Exactly who or what the Weird Sisters were Harry didn't know, never having had access to a wizard's wireless, but he deduced from the wild excitement of those who had grown up listening to the WWN (Wizarding Wireless Network) that they were a very famous musical group.**

"Famous musical group … that's like saying Krum is an okay Quidditch player," Ron said shaking his head at Harry.

**Some of the teachers, like little Professor Flitwick, gave up trying to teach them much when their minds were so clearly elsewhere; he allowed them to play games in his lesson on Wednesday, and spent most of it talking to Harry about the perfect Summoning Charm Harry had used during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Other teachers were not so generous. Nothing would ever deflect Professor Binns, for example, from plowing on through his notes on goblin rebellions – as Binns hadn't let his own death stand in the way of continuing to teach, they supposed a small thing like Christmas wasn't going to put him off. It was amazing how he could make even bloody and vicious goblin riots sound as boring as Percy's cauldron-bottom report.**

"Those reports aren't boring," Percy grumbled, but no one paid him attention.

**Professors McGonagall and Moody kept them working until the very last second of their classes too, and Snape, of course, would no sooner let them play games in class than adopt Harry.**

"Why did I you have to go and think about a thing like that," Sirius said looking ill at just the thought of Snape raising Harry.

**Staring nastily around at them all, he informed them that he would be testing them on poison antidotes during the last lesson of the term.**

"I thought he already did that?" Ron groaned.

"No, I think he just made us do the antidotes, now well be tested on them," Hermione pointed out.

"**Evil, he is," Ron said bitterly that night in the Gryffindor common room. "Springing a test on us on the last day. Ruining the last bit of term with a whole load of studying."**

"**Mmm … you're not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?" said Hermione, looking at him over the top of her Potions notes. Ron was busy building a card castle out of his Exploding Snap pack – a much more interesting pastime than with Muggle cards, because of the chance that the whole thing would blow up at any second.**

"And you call that interesting?" Duncan questioned.

"The explosion can't hurt you," Ron said, "it's kind of fun trying to figure out how the cards fit together just right without making the explode."

"**It's Christmas, Hermione," said Harry lazily; he was rereading Flying with the Cannons for the tenth time in an armchair near the fire. Hermione looked severely over at him too.**

Ron and Harry exchanged a look, knowing what Hermione's look meant.

"**I'd have thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry, even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!"**

"**Like what?" Harry said as he watched Joey Jenkins of the Cannons belt a Bludger toward a Ballycastle Bats Chaser.**

"And missing," Fred quipped but Arthur continued reading before Ron could do more than glare at him.

"**That egg!" Hermione hissed.**

"**Come on, Hermione, I've got till February the twenty-fourth," Harry said.**

"That's not as far away as you think it is," Percy said pompously, "you better work on it, because before you know it the task will be upon you and you won't know what to do."

**He had put the golden egg upstairs in his trunk and hadn't opened it since the celebration party after the first task. There were still two and a half months to go until he needed to know what all the screechy wailing meant, after all.**

"**But it might take weeks to work it out!" said Hermione. "You're going to look a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't!"**

"**Leave him alone, Hermione, he's earned a bit of a break," said Ron, and he placed the last two cards on top of the castle and the whole lot blew up, singeing his eyebrows.**

Ron winched at the singed eyebrow part, he hated when that happened. But obviously he hadn't done such a bad job on the castle if he was down to the last cards. Still he could have done without the other people laughing at him.

"**Nice look Ron … go well with your dress robes, that will."**

Ron looked sick at the mention of his dress robes.

**It was Fred and George. They sat down at the table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as Ron felt how much damage had been done.**

"**Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George asked.**

"**No, he's off delivering a letter," said Ron. "Why?"**

"**Because George wants to invite him to the ball," said Fred sarcastically.**

Everyone laughed at that.

"I didn't realize you like Pig so much," Ron grinned at George, "of course you can bring him to the ball, but please bring him back at a descent hour … he's still rather young."

There was more laughter at that as George made a face.

"**Because we want to send a letter, you stupid great prat," said George.**

"**Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?" said Ron.**

"**Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too," said Fred, waving his wand threateningly. "So … you lot got dates for the ball yet?"**

"**Nope," said Ron.**

"**Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone," said Fred.**

"**Who're you going with, then?" said Ron.**

"**Angelina," said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.**

George looked at Fred, his eyebrow raising a little. He hadn't expected that.

"**What?" said Ron, taken aback. "You've already asked her?"**

"**Good point," said Fred. He turned his head and called across the common room, "Oy! Angelina!"**

**Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him.**

"**What?" she called back.**

"**Want to come to the ball with me?"**

**Angelina gave Fred an appraising sort of look.**

George turned away making a sour face, he would have liked to go to the ball with Angelina, but he guess that Fred was going to be the one to do it. Oh well, he'll just think of someone else to go with.

Fred couldn't help but notice George's reaction and wondered what it meant. They had often competed for girls, having very similar taste but it never really bother the other when one or the other one got the girl first.

"**All right, then," she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face.**

"**There you go," said Fred to Harry and Ron, "piece of cake."**

"I hate you, you know that right," Ron grumbled glaring at Fred.

"Yeah I know," Fred grinned back. "It's not my fault I'm irresistible to the ladies."

"It's in the genes," George added, getting over his irritation of moments ago.

"That would mean I got them too," Ron pointed out, his voice glum because he didn't really think he did. At least not that he noticed.

"I'd say you're not as bad as you think you are," Fred said, surprising kind, as he could have been very cruel and just made fun of Ron as he normal did.

Ron looked at him questioningly but Fred didn't say any more.

**He got to his feet, yawning, and said, "We'd better use a school owl then, George, come on …"**

**They left. Ron stopped feeling his eyebrows and looked across the smoldering wreck of his card castle at Harry.**

"**We should get a move on, you know … ask someone. He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls."**

**Hermione let out a sputter of indignation.**

"**A pair of … what, excuse me?"**

"Trolls," George said, "you know like those things that watched the Fat Lady last year after Sirius broke into the common room. I don't blame you for not wanting to ask them out Ronniekins, they're terrible dancers."

"**Well – you know," said Ron, shrugging. "I'd rather go alone than with – with Eloise Midgen, say."**

"**Her acne's loads better lately – and she's really nice!"**

"**Her nose is off-center," said Ron. **

"**Oh I see," Hermione said, bristling. "So basically, you're going to take the best looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"**

"**Er – yeah, that sounds about right," said Ron.**

"What? Why are you glaring at me?" Ron asked Hermione, who was glaring at him, though anger didn't seem to be the only thing in her eyes.

"You're horrible, Ronald Weasley," Hermione said hotly, "there's more important things than looks."

"It's not like he's asking the girl to be his girlfriend for the rest of life, he just wants something pretty to be on his arm for one night," George pointed out in what he thought was a helpful way.

"So that's all that important to you?" Hermione demanded of Ron.

"Well … er … I mean … it doesn't hurt," Ron said slowly, not really understanding why she was so angry with him.

Hermione turned away from him and crossed her arms, she trying to force herself to stay angry because that was a lot better than feeling disappointed. Clearly he didn't see her as an option to ask out, not even that but she probably wasn't even good enough looking for him, not with her bushy hair and big teeth …

Bill sighed, looking at Ron stare at Hermione obviously confused about what he did to offend her so much. He really did need to talk to Ron soon about how to talk to girls and how saying things like taking the best looking girl wasn't the best thing to say near the girl you like … or any girl really.

"**I'm going to bed," Hermione snapped, and she swept off toward the girls' staircase without another word.**

**The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up, Harry noticed that they were the most stunning he had yet seen inside the school. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the banisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armor had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them. It was quite something to hear "O Come, All Ye Faithful" sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. **

"McGonagall probably wouldn't be pleased that he could only sing half the words," Sirius noted.

**Several times, Filch the caretaker had to extract Peeves from inside the armor, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude.**

"Brilliant!" the twins and Sirius all said together as other laughed.

"Talk about something that McGonagall wouldn't like," Ginny snorted.

"I can't wait until I can hear that in person," George said, "Peeves is always good at coming up with good songs."

**And still Harry hadn't asked Cho to the ball. **

"Harry that's no good," Sirius shook his head, "you have to ask a girl as quickly as possible to something like this. Especially if she's as pretty as you think she is."

"I thought you weren't going to comment this again?" Harry complained, but he couldn't help but adding, "Do you really think it's bad?"

"Girls don't stay single for long when there's a party or dance going on," Sirius said.

"So you think she's already going with some," Harry groaned.

"I don't know, maybe not," Sirius said gently, though he was thinking it was very likely that someone else had asked her by that point.

**He and Ron were getting very nervous now, though as Harry pointed out, Ron would look much less stupid than he would without a partner; Harry was supposed to be starting the dancing with the other champions.**

"You could just take Ron as your date," George said trying to suppress a smile. "That would be lovely."

Both Harry and Ron glared at him for that comment.

"**I suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle," he said gloomily, referring to the ghost who haunted the girls' toilets on the second floor.**

"Seriously Harry, you're going to go for a ghost before you even try to ask a live girl out," Fred laughed. "That's ridiculous mate."

"**Harry – we've just got to grit our teeth and do it," said Ron on Friday morning, in a tone that suggested they were planning the storming of an impregnable fortress.**

"**When we get back to the common room tonight, we'll both have partners – agreed?"**

"**Er … okay," said Harry.**

"Oh, I'm sure it will work just as easy as that," Fred said.

"It might have if you thought to do that before a few days before the ball," George said.

**But every time he glimpsed Cho that day – during break, and then lunchtime, and once on the way to History of Magic – she was surrounded by friends. Didn't she ever go anywhere alone? Could he perhaps ambush her as she was going into a bathroom? But no – she even seemed to go there with an escort of four or five girls. **

"Why do they have to even go to the bathroom together?" Harry complained.

"It's a girl thing, we don't understand it either," Fred informed him.

"Have you even bothered to ask a girl about it?" Tonks wondered.

"Yeah, they give us a bunch of crap about talking, but I still don't get it," Fred said.

**Yet if he didn't do it soon, she was bound to have been asked by somebody else.**

**He found it hard to concentrate on Snape's Potions test, and consequently forgot to add the key ingredient – a bezoar – meaning that he received bottom marks. **

"Wait, if it has a bezoar in it, wouldn't that be an antidote enough?" Ginny said.

"It doesn't cure all poisons," Teddy answered, "though on its own it can buy you enough time to get the proper antidote … which would likely have more bezoar in it."

**He didn't care, though; he was too busy screwing up his courage for what he was about to do. When the bell rang, he grabbed his bag, and hurried to the dungeon door.**

"**I'll meet you at dinner," he said to Ron and Hermione, and he dashed off upstairs.**

**He'd just have to ask Cho for a private word, that was all … He hurried off through the packed corridors looking for her, and (rather sooner than he had expected) he found her, emerging from a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.**

"**Er - Cho? Could I have a word with you?"**

**Giggling should be made illegal Harry thought furiously, **

"Definitely illegal," the Harry in the room grumbled as there were plenty of people laughing right now.

"We're not giggling, we're laughing," Fred pointed out.

"That should be made illegal too," Harry said.

**as all the girls around Cho started doing it. She didn't, though. She said, "Okay," and followed him out of earshot other classmates.**

**Harry turned to look at her and his stomach gave a weird lurch as though he had missed a step going downstairs.**

"**Er," he said.**

**He couldn't ask her. He couldn't. But he had to. Cho stood there looking puzzled, watching him. The words came out before Harry had quite got his tongue around them.**

"**Wangoballwime?"**

There was more laughter, though several people were trying not, it was hard for them not to think about their own first attempt to ask someone out.

"**Sorry?" said Cho.**

"**D'you - d'you want to go to the ball with me?" said Harry. Why did he have to go red now? Why?**

More laughter … or suppressed laughter.

"**Oh!" said Cho, and she went red too. "Oh Harry, I'm really sorry," and she truly looked it. "I've already said I'll go with someone else."**

Harry bowed his head miserably.

"Harry you can change this," Ron pointed out. "Just ask her out earlier and she'll say yes to you."

"That or she's just trying to let you down easy," Fred pointed out.

"I'm sure that's not it … you said she truly looked sorry," Ron continued to say.

Harry didn't look up though, he had really been hoping that he would get Cho to go with him so that he would get to hear how it went.

"**Oh," said Harry.**

**It was odd; a moment before his insides had been writhing like snakes, but suddenly he didn't seem to have any insides at all.**

There wasn't any laughter this time, but a few people could relate to the feeling he was describing as they had been let down before too.

"**Oh okay," he said, "no problem."**

"**I'm really sorry," she said again.**

"**That's okay," said Harry.**

**They stood there looking at each other, and then Cho said, "Well-"**

"**Yeah," said Harry.**

"**Well, 'bye," said Cho, still very red. She walked away.**

**Harry called after her, before he could stop himself.**

"**Who're you going with?"**

"**Oh – Cedric," she said. "Cedric Diggory."**

Harry couldn't help making a face at that, Cedric … it just had to be that jerk.

"You really seem to like competing with that guy," George noted.

"**Oh right," said Harry.**

**His insides had come back again. It felt as though they had been filled with lead in their absence.**

**Completely forgetting about dinner, he walked slowly back up to Gryffindor Tower, Cho's voice echoing in his ears with every step he took. "Cedric – Cedric Diggory." **

_Did she really have to say the Diggory part, I think everyone knew who she was talking about_, Harry thought angrily, it somehow seemed worst that she had said it like that.

**He had been starting to quite like Cedric – prepared to overlook the fact that he had once beaten him at Quidditch, and was handsome, and popular, and nearly everyone's favorite champion. Now he suddenly realized that Cedric was in fact a useless pretty boy who didn't have enough brains to fill an eggcup.**

Most people couldn't help laughing at that thought, clearly Harry was jealous and allowed that to color his views on his rival.

"**Fairy lights," he said dully to the Fat Lady – the password had been changed the previous day.**

"**Yes, indeed, dear!" she trilled, straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit him.**

**Entering the common room, Harry looked around, and to his surprise he saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Ginny was sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice.**

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"It looks like you were probably shot down too," Fred noted unsympathetically.

Ron frowned, that sort of made sense, he wouldn't like to be shot down, but he couldn't think of who he would ask that he would care that much about if they had rejected him. Well unless … He turned to look at Hermione, who was still looking away from her and seemed to be rather angry.

"**What's up, Ron?" said Harry, joining them.**

**Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face.**

"**Why did I do it?" he said wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"**

"**What?" said Harry.**

"**He – er – just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him," said Ginny. **

"What?" several people asked at the same time. Ron, who couldn't seem to ask any girl out, just asked Fleur Delacour out.

"What were you think?" Fred asked him.

"I have no idea!" Ron said, truly having no idea at all and wondering what the hell was going on in his head that would make him do something so stupid.

**She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically.**

"How effing nice of you," Ron grumbled and glared at Ginny.

"At least I was trying to make you feel better," Ginny huffed back, "I don't have to do that."

"Yeah, making me feel better by laughing at me," Ron grumbled, this time it was under his breath so she wouldn't hear him.

"**You what?' said Harry.**

"**I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped again. "What was I playing at? There were people – all around – I've gone mad – everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall – she was standing there talking to Diggory – and it sort of came over me – and I asked her!"**

Ron looked horrified as his Dad continued to read this part, he had asked in front of people … a whole much of them. He'd be the laughing stock of the whole school now. He was already been laughed at by the twins, and he was sure if he looked up at the others he would see them laughing too, only trying to be polite about it.

**Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable.**

"**She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then – I dunno – I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."**

"**She's part veela," said Harry. **

"That's it! That's why I asked her," Ron said, it didn't really make him feel better that he knew the reason, he had still made a fool of himself.

"Ron don't worry, this didn't happen yet, remember," Harry said, repeating what Ron had said to him. He hoped it would do more for his friend than it did for him, after all Ron probably hadn't really wanted to ask Fleur out so it was probably more about the emotional aspect.

"Yeah, Ronnie, you only made a fool in front of everyone in here," George said, "Not the whole school."

Ron glared at George, how was that supposed to make him feel better?

**"You were right – her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it – but she was wasting her time. He's going with Cho Chang."**

"Hmph, I don't like thinking that this girl could just use her charm on poor unsuspecting boys," Molly said, "it's not fair to them."

"No kidding," Ron agreed with his mum, this wasn't bloody fair at all.

"She can't always control it," Teddy said, defense of his Aunt. "She's only a quarter veela and it just sort of happens when she likes someone."

"But she can control it too," Tonks asked him.

"Yes, she can," Teddy said.

"You seem to know an awful lot about this, and you say her as if you know her personal," Tonks went on to note.

"Er … well … anyways on with the story," Teddy said avoiding the statement in a rather obvious sort of way and everyone was looking at him oddly, they hadn't really expected him to know her so well.

"Maybe Harry stays in touch with her and the other champions after this is all done with," Neville supplied an explanation but no one seemed to be listening to him.

**Ron looked up.**

"**I asked her to go with me just now," Harry said dully, "and she told me."**

**Ginny had suddenly stopped smiling.**

"I wonder why …" Fred started to tease but stopped when Ginny glared at him murderously. It was bad enough that she had to listen to Harry ask another girl out. Even worse that she was happy that she said no, she wanted to be the better person and feel for him but she couldn't quite manage it. But to listen to Fred tease her about her crush was too much for her.

"**This is mad," said Ron. "We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone – well, except Neville. Hey – guess who he asked? Hermione!"**

"What?" several people asked, and Neville turned red as people looked between him and Hermione. The worst was that Hermione was looking at him questioningly and Ron was glaring daggers at him. When he looked away from them, not really sure what he could say as he was surprised he asked her as well, he noticed Mr. Granger was giving him a hard look too.

"**What?" said Harry, completely distracted by this startling news.**

"You can say that again," Fred chuckled.

"**Yeah, I know!" said Ron, some of the color coming back into his face as he started to laugh. **

Ron relaxed, if he was laughing obviously this wasn't serious, he did look at Neville again, the other boy seemed to be blushing and was very nervous, but he couldn't tell if that was because Hermione had said no or if it was just because everyone was looking at him.

**"He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff – but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville … I mean, who would?"**

"Ronald!" Hermione exclaimed as Neville sat lower in his seat. "First of all, I would have no problem going with Neville … er … as long as it was as friends …" she added quickly looking at Neville, she didn't want to lead him on if he did like her, because she didn't feel the same.

"I'm pretty sure I meant it as friends," Neville mumbled looking at the floor in front of him, he really wish his book self hadn't bother asking her as obviously all it did was put him on the spot. He never really thought of her in that way, though she was pretty, he never gave a thought to dating her or anything like that.

"Okay then," Hermione said turning back on Ron. "Second of all, I wouldn't tell someone that I'm going with someone else unless I was going with someone else!"

Mr. Granger chocked at that, he hadn't really paid attention to that bit, but now that's all he could think about. His daughter was going to the dance with some boy …

"Then who are you going with?" Ron asked her, his guts freezing a bit as he realize what she was saying. Of course she would be going with someone … why wouldn't another guy notice her?

"How should I know that?" Hermione responded hotly, though the question did make her wonder who she had said yes to. She hadn't thought she would want to go with someone else, she could see going with someone like Neville as a friend, maybe Harry too, though she didn't really think Harry would ever think of asking her even if it was only as a friend. She would have hoped that Ron would have wanted to go with her, even if it was just as a friend but obviously that wasn't the case. So who was this guy she said yes to, there wasn't really anyone he could think of that she would want to go with.

"**Don't!" said Ginny, annoyed. "Don't laugh -"**

**Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole.**

"**Why weren't you two at dinner?" she said, coming over to join them.**

"**Because – oh shut up laughing, you two – because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" said Ginny.**

"Wow, Gin Gin, no sympathy at all," George said with a grin.

"Well they're being jerks, laughing at Neville," Ginny said hotly.

"You have a point," Harry said, turning towards Neville, "sorry mate."

**That shut Harry and Ron up.**

"**Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Ron sourly.**

"**All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" said Hermione loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you."**

Hermione looked at Ron as if to say 'so there!' but she notice that Ron was looking miserable and some of her angry left her, though it didn't take away the pain of not even being someone that Ron would consider asking.

**But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light.**

"**Hermione, Neville's right – you are a girl …"**

There was silence in the room for a moment as Hermione eyes widen and she looked at her hands. All this time and he only now realized that I was a girl, she couldn't help but think and then added bitter, of course not, all you are to him is a friend, he doesn't look at you as a girl.

_Merlin, Ron really stuck his foot in it now_, Bill thought with a groan, that was probably the worst thing Ron could have said to Hermione, and Hermione seemed to be talking it the worst way possible, judging by her shocked and pained expression.

Mr. Granger looked at Ron , he had been afraid the boy might have had feeling for Hermione, but it didn't seem as likely now … not to mention that saying something like Ron said won't make angry girl too pleased.

Ron could hardly hear the comments of the other, or tell whether or not anyone was laughing, he was looking at Hermione seeing how she was reacting to his statement. So far she looked horrified by him even attempting to ask her to go with him.

"**Oh well spotted," she said acidly.**

"**Well – you can come with one of us!"**

_One of us! _Hermione thought, he wasn't even asking her for himself, she was just someone that interchangeable between him and Harry.

Bill winched, he was just making things worse. Someone ought to tell him to shut up.

"**No, I can't," snapped Hermione.**

"**Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has …"**

"Dude, she can't be both of your partners," Fred said he wasn't laughing, he was actually feeling pretty bad for Ron and how he was handling this. If he talked for much longer he was going to permanently damage his chances with her. "Even as a friend, you don't ask someone out like this."

Ron looked at him, was he really asking that her that bad. Could that be why she was so angry with him right now, because he was going about this in an extra bad manner?

"**I can't come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because I'm already going with someone."**

"**No, you're not!" said Ron. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"**

Okay, I know that was the wrong thing to say, because she had already gone off on me about it, Ron noted.

"**Oh did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"**

_Hm, so she was mad about the girl comment too,_ Ron thought, _I guess it was sort of bad, but how else was I supposed to open up the conversation. Then again it probably be better if I didn't bother, as she really is going with someone else. _

**Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again.**

"**Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," he said. "That do? Will you come now?"**

Harry was feeling very uncomfortable with this line of conversation, but he couldn't help but noticing that Ron keep saying we, why did he have to bring him into this. If Hermione was as mad as she looked, he didn't want anything to do with this.

"**I've already told you!" Hermione said very angrily. "I'm going with someone else!"**

**And she stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again.**

"**She's lying," said Ron flatly, watching her go.**

"**She's not," said Ginny quietly.**

"**Who is it then?" said Ron sharply.**

"**I'm not telling you, it's her business," said Ginny.**

"Argh," Ron groaned, he wanted to know who this git was so he could go on and hate him already. Thinking about the mysterious man was driving him nuts.

"**Right," said Ron, who looked extremely put out, "this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just –"**

Ginny glared at Ron, how could he just pick her date for her … still at the same time she couldn't help but be happy to go with Harry. Of course Harry hasn't said anything, maybe he would shot the idea down, obviously he doesn't want to go with her.

"**I can't," said Ginny, **

She heard this as she was thinking and her gut dropped, _just when I got a chance to go out with Harry and I have to say no … what the bloody hell is the matter with me!_

**and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with - with Neville. **

All the Weasley looked at Neville and he turned red all over again. Ginny's brothers all seemed to be looking at him closely as if trying to gauge if him.

"Just as friends … I'm sure," Neville said, he didn't really like Ginny any more than he liked Hermione. The Weasley seemed to take him at his word or didn't think he was bad, he couldn't tell but at least they weren't glaring at him anymore. He then looked at Ginny who seemed to look down, "you know if you want to go with him I'd be okay."

Ginny turned to look at Neville, she would definitely like to go with Harry, though the fact that Ron asked her for him didn't really make her feel better. Still, she didn't want to be the kind of girl that drops a guy just because someone he liked more asked her out. "I won't do that to you Neville, it wouldn't be right."

**He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought … well … I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." **

Ginny winched that didn't seem so nice to Neville.

"It's okay, I know you don't like me like that," he told her, he wasn't really bothered.

**She looked extremely miserable. "I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed.**

**Ron goggled at Harry.**

"**What's got into them?" he demanded.**

"Perhaps it's your poor skills at asking people out … for yourself or others," George said. "Though I like how you just pass our baby sister out to Harry like it was no big deal."

"Well I didn't like that," Ginny complained.

**But Harry had just seen Parvati and Lavender come in through the portrait hole. The time had come for drastic action.**

"**Wait here," he said to Ron, and he stood up, walked straight up to Parvati, and said, "Parvati? Will you go to the ball with me?"**

**Parvati went into a fit of giggles. Harry waited for them to subside, his fingers crossed in the pocket of his robes.**

"**Yes, all right then," she said finally, blushing furiously.**

"Well that wasn't so difficult was it," Sirius said as Harry let out a relief breath, Parvati might not be who he wanted to go with, but at least he had a date now and he wouldn't look like a fool at the ball.

"**Thanks," said Harry, in relief. "Lavender – will you go with Ron?"**

"See that's a better way of _asking _someone out for someone else … you actually ask them," Ginny snapped at Ron

"**She's going with Seamus," said Parvati, and the pair of them giggled harder than ever.**

Ron sighed, he didn't really know if he would want to go with Lavender but he wanted this all to be settled.

**Harry sighed.**

"**Can't you think of anyone who'd go with Ron?" he said, lowering his voice so that Ron wouldn't hear.**

Ron now glared at Harry, he didn't have to say it like that as his brothers started laughing.

"**What about Hermione Granger?" said Parvati.**

Hermione made a face at Parvati suggesting her like that.

"**She's going with someone else."**

**Parvati looked astonished.**

"**Ooooh - who?" she said keenly.**

"Hmph," Hermione huffed, why did she have to be so surprised about that.

**Harry shrugged. "No idea," he said. "So what about Ron?"**

"**Well …" said Parvati slowly, "I suppose my sister might … Padma, you know … in Ravenclaw. I'll ask her if you like."**

"**Yeah, that would be great," said Harry. "Let me know, will you?"**

**And he went back over to Ron, feeling that this ball was a lot more trouble than it was worth, and hoping very much that Padma Patil's nose was dead center.**

There was more laughter but Ron was didn't seem so happy. It looks like he needed Harry to get him dates now.

"That was the end of the chapter," Arthur said. "Maybe we should take a break …"

"No way …" Fred said. "The next chapter should be brilliant after this set up."


	24. The Yule Ball

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty Four

The Yule Ball

"**The Yule Ball," **Molly read, after she took the book from her husband.

**Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourth years had been given for the holidays Harry was in no mood to work when term ended, **

"Well that simply shocking!" Fred gasped. "Who would ever have guessed that you wouldn't want to do homework."

**and spent the week leading up to Christmas enjoying himself as fully as possible along with everyone else. Gryffindor Tower was hardly less crowded now than during term-time; it seemed to have shrunk slightly too, as its inhabitants were being so much rowdier than usual. Fred and George had had a great success with their Canary Creams, and for the first couple of days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feather all over the place. **

Several people laughed at that and the twins looked particular proud that first their products were selling and then that the people in the room seemed to like it as well.

**Before long, however, all the Gryffindors had learned to treat food anybody else offered them with extreme caution, in case it had a Canary Cream concealed in the center, and George confided to Harry that he and Fred were now working on developing something else. Harry made a mental note never to accept so much as a crisp from Fred and George in future. He still hadn't forgotten Dudley and the Ton-Tongue Toffee.**

"That's probably a good idea, mate," Fred laughed.

"Though we're probably a step ahead of you, you might not want to eat anything when we're in the room just to be safe," George added.

**Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savory puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about.**

"What does she have to complain about?" Hermione grumbled.

"**It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," they heard her saying grumpily as they left the Great Hall behind her one evening **

"The food is excellent at Hogwarts," Sirius said in a huff, really should could complain about anything and he wouldn't care, but not the food.

**(Ron skulking behind Harry, keen not to be spotted by Fleur). **

Ron's siblings sniggered at that and they weren't the only ones. Ron on the other hand groaned and tried to hide his face.

**"I will not fit into my dress robes!"**

"**Oooh there's a tragedy," Hermione snapped as Fleur went out into the entrance hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"**

"And you seemed to not like her at all," Juliet noted to her daughter, she had a feeling that Hermione hadn't like that Ron had asked Fleur out, even if it wasn't entirely his fault. Then combine that with the way he had tried to ask Hermione … she wasn't surprised that Hermione seemed to be so down at the moment.

"I don't really like how she's talking about Hogwarts," Hermione said halfheartedly, knowing that probably wasn't the only reason why she didn't like this girl.

"**Hermione – who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron.**

**He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking it when she least expected it. However, Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."**

"That's not fair, you know who we're going with," Ron said, and added in his head, _well that is I am even going with any one._

Hermione just looked at him, there was nothing she could really say to that, as she didn't know who she was going with either and she didn't know why she would think Ron would make fun of her for it.

"**You're joking, Weasley!" said Malfoy, behind them. "You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"**

"You effing arsehole …" Ron stated to say and was greeted with the familiar protests to his language and Hermione's arms on his shoulder to make sure he didn't do anything.

"That insult doesn't even make sense, my molars are perfectly normal sized," Hermione said, "now if you said that my Maxillary Central Incisors were long, it would have been better for you."

"Do you always have to correct people's insults," Draco grumbled.

"Just when they're poor ones," Hermione shrugged.

Duncan couldn't help but smile at his daughter, not only did she know the proper dental term for her teeth, but he also appreciated the way that she handled the insult. He was starting to understand Hermione's reason for wanting to get her front teeth to be smaller, though he still didn't think it needed a magical solution.

**Harry and Ron both whipped around, but Hermione said loudly, waving to somebody over Malfoys shoulder, "Hello, Professor Moody!"**

**Malfoy went pale and jumped backward, looking wildly around for Moody, but he was still up at the staff table, finishing his stew.**

"**Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" said Hermione scathingly, **

"Brilliant Hermione!" Ron said laughing, along with most of the people in the room, though Draco was glaring at her and Duncan sighed, so much for her maturity when handling an insult.

**and she, Harry, and Ron went up the marble staircase laughing heartily.**

"**Hermione," said Ron, looking sideways at her, suddenly frowning, "your teeth …"**

"**What about them?" she said.**

"**Well, they're different … I've just noticed …"**

"Huh?" Juliet said questioningly as she and her husband looked at Hermione, who looked nervous and somewhat hopeful.

"**Of course they are – did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?"**

"**No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you … They're all … straight and – and normal-sized."**

"Hermione!?" Duncan and Juliet said at the same time, the tones both angry and shock.

Hermione sat back into her seat, not looking at her parents. "I don't know what happened," she tried to remind them but she knew they were still looking at her, and weren't pleased.

"You know how we feel about your teeth, Hermione," Juliet said in disappointed tone.

"Yes mum," Hermione answered, bowing her head, she couldn't really think of anything she could say to that, not out loud at least. And not something she hadn't tried to tell her parents already.

Duncan however was looking closely at his daughter, he was just starting to understand what Hermione might be going through, and though the idea of her magicing her teeth so they suddenly become straight unnerved him, he'd was going to try to think about it with a more open mind.

**Hermione suddenly smiled very mischievously, and Harry noticed it too: It was a very different smile from the one he remembered.**

"**Well… when I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," she said. "And I just… let her carry on a bit." She smiled even more widely.**

"I see," Duncan sighed, that was a good time for Hermione to get what she wanted, as it was hard to argue with her getting her teeth shrunk and straighten then as they had to be magiced anyways.

"You're not upset about this?" Juliet turned on her husband surprised.

"Of course I am," Duncan said. "But it's not hard to that Hermione would take advantage of this situation, as she would have had the magic done on her no matter what."

"So you think it's good that she 'takes advantage of the situation,'" Juliet asked, hotly.

"Well … er … I'm not surprised by it," Duncan admitted, "I remember when I was that age I wish I could be at least an inch taller so people wouldn't make fun of me anymore … I would have done anything to be taller …"

"You never brought this up before," Juliet pointed out.

"I didn't think of it like that," Duncan said, "but listening to some of Hermione's reaction and hearing how people tease her … well it just made me think about my own experience with that …"

"Hm," Juliet said, trying to get where his new found understanding was coming from.

Hermione on the other hand was looking up at her dad hopefully, if he was coming around to on the idea of having her teeth changed then maybe she'd be able to have it done for real, not just in this book.

"**Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should - look! Pigwidgeons back!"**

Both Hermione's were frowning at her again, as they were reminded that she very well knew that they wouldn't like what she allowed to happen to her teeth.

**Ron's tiny owl was twittering madly on the top of the icicle-laden banisters, a scroll of parchment tied to his leg. People passing him were pointing and laughing, and a group of third-year girls paused and said, "Oh look at the weeny owl! Isn't he cute?"**

"Aw, it's so precious!" the twins said in a baby voice and Ron's ears turned read.

"**Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hissed, **

**This caused them to laugh.**

"Ron, you don't have to be so mean to the precious weeny owl," Ginny said trying to look sternly at him but she was smiling too.

"Shut up," Ron grumbled.

**hurrying up the stairs and snatching up Pigwidgeon. "You bring letters to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!"**

**Pigwidgeon hooted happily, his head protruding over Ron's fist. The third-year girls all looked very shocked.**

"**Clear off!" Ron snapped at them, waving the fist holding Pigwidgeon, who hooted more happily than ever as he soared through the air. **

"Er … I don't think that's the best way to treat your owl," Tonks said, she looked amused too.

"Well at least he's still happy," Sirius laughed. "I really did get you a crazy owl, didn't I."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Ron said still grumbling though he did like that he had an owl.

**"Here – take it, Harry," Ron added in an undertone as the third-year girls scuttled away looking scandalized. He pulled Sirius's reply off Pigwidgeons leg. Harry pocketed it, and they hurried back to Gryffindor Tower to read it.**

**Everyone in the common room was much too busy in letting off more holiday steam to observe what anyone else was up to. Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat apart from everyone else by a dark window that was gradually filling up with snow, and Harry read out:**

"Sitting apart just makes it obvious that you're talking about something important," Ginny pointed out.

"Yeah, well we don't want to be overheard now do we," Ron answered.

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Whoever put your name in that goblet shouldn**_**'**_**t be feeling too happy right now! I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitus Curse, as a dragon**_**'**_**s eyes are its weakest point –**_

"Ha, that's the one I said I was thinking about!" Sirius cheered, there had been a few other suggestion in the room about what curse he would have suggested.

"And we're all shocked that you would pick the same curse as yourself, I'm sure," Tonks said to him. "Who would ever have expected that you would think like yourself!"

"**That's what Krum did!" Hermione whispered –**

"And it was a good suggestion too, seeing as Krum did the best after Harry," Sirius went on, ignoring Tonks completely.

_**But your way was better, I**_**'**_**m impressed.**_

_**Don**_**'**_**t get complacent, though, Harry. You**_**'**_**ve only done one task; whoever put you in for the tournament**_**'**_**s got plenty more opportunity if they**_**'**_**re trying to hurt you. Keep your eyes open -particularly when the person we discussed is around and concentrate on keeping yourself out of trouble. **_

"That's rich coming from you," Remus said to Sirius.

"Well the kind of trouble that Harry gets into isn't the same kind that I use to," Sirius pointed out. "All I had to worry about is detention and not getting McGonagall too angry at me."

_**Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual.**_

_**Sirius**_

"**He sounds exactly like Moody," said Harry quietly, tucking the letter away again inside his robes. "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls …"**

"If that's all I had to worry about you doing, I'd be happy," Sirius informed him.

"Yeah, I get it," Harry said, "but I'm sure you don't like it when everyone is telling you to be safe and cautions all the time."

"I would have hated that," Sirius laughed his agreement.

"**But he's right, Harry," said Hermione, "you have still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means …"**

"**Hermione, he's got ages!" snapped Ron. "Want a game of chess, Harry?"**

"Why are you glaring at me, Harry's the one not working," Ron huffed.

"Maybe if you were on my side, Harry would work," Hermione snapped back. "You know just because you two like to wait until the last minute with everything, doesn't mean that you should …"

"Hermione, we're just reading here, I can't make myself go faster even if I wanted to," Harry said, he was sure he was going to get lectured enough by the book Hermione that as it was.

"**Yeah, okay," said Harry. Then, spotting the look on Hermione's face, he said, "Come on, how'm I supposed to concentrate with all this noise going on? I won't even be able to hear the egg over this lot."**

"**Oh I suppose not," she sighed, and she sat down to watch their chess match, which culminated in an exciting checkmate of Ron's, involving a couple of recklessly brave pawns and a very violent bishop.**

"So is that to mean, that you were beaten by the Weasel when he was using only pawns?" Draco asked.

"And a bishop," Harry added.

"You must be pathetic at chess," Draco snorted.

"Nah, Ron's just brilliant," Bill said and Ron's ear turned red, he wasn't use to his brother complimenting him like that.

**Harry awoke very suddenly on Christmas Day. Wondering what had caused his abrupt return to consciousness, he opened his eyes, and saw something with very large, round, green eyes staring back at him in the darkness, so close they were almost nose to nose.**

"**Dobby!" Harry yelled, scrambling away from the elf so fast he almost fell out of bed. "Don't do that!"**

"That is a nice wake up call," Tonks laughed.

"Bloody hell that must be creepy," Sirius said, halfway between a laugh and a shudder, he couldn't help but think of his old elf, Kreacher, doing that to him and that wasn't a very nice thought at all.

"**Dobby is sorry, sir!" squeaked Dobby anxiously, jumping backward with his long fingers over his mouth. "Dobby is only wanting to wish Harry Potter 'Merry Christmas' and bring him a present, Sir! Harry Potter did say Dobby could come and see him sometimes, sir!" **

"Aw, you scared the poor elf, Harry," Fred said, "you really should be nicer to him."

"I am nice to him … just not when he's staring at me like that," Harry said.

"**It's okay," said Harry, still breathing rather faster than usual, while his heart rate returned to normal. "Just – just prod me or something in future, all right, don't bend over me like that …" **

**Harry pulled back the curtains around his four-poster, took his glasses from his bedside table, and put them on. His yell had awoken Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville. All of them were peering through the gaps in their own hangings, heavyeyed and tousle-haired. **

"It's a wake up call for all of us, apparently," Ron sighed, he hated being woken up early … then again it was Christmas …

"**Someone attacking you, Harry?" Seamus asked sleepily. **

"Is that supposed to be such a causal question?" Molly muttered to herself before she started reading again, knowing she wouldn't get an answer.

"**No, it's just Dobby," Harry muttered. "Go back to sleep." **

"**Nah … presents!" said Seamus, spotting the large pile at the foot of his bed. Ron, Dean, and Neville decided that now they were awake they might as well get down to some present-opening too. Harry turned back to Dobby, who was now standing nervously next to Harrys bed, still looking worried that he had upset Harry. **

Harry sighed, though he knew Fred was teasing him he had wished that he hadn't snapped at Dobby like that. Like it was shown, Dobby tended to take being shout at badly, as most of his kind seemed to.

**There was a Christmas bauble tied to the loop on top of his tea cozy. **

"**Can Dobby give Harry Potter his present?" he squeaked tentatively. **

"'**Course you can," said Harry. "Er … I've got something for you too." **

"You did?" Hermione asked him excitedly.

"Er …" was all Harry could think to say to that, having no idea what the answer was.

**It was a lie; **

Hermione made a face at him and Harry pointed out, "well I'm going to give him something, I wouldn't have said I had something for him … if I wasn't going to."

That seemed to please Hermione as she gave him a sheepish smile.

**he hadn't bought anything for Dobby at all, but he quickly opened his trunk and pulled out a particularly knobbly rolled-up pair of socks. They were his oldest and foulest, mustard yellow, and had once belonged to Uncle Vernon. The reason they were extra-knobbly was that Harry had been using them to cushion his Sneakoscope for over a year now. He pulled out the Sneako-scope and handed the socks to Dobby, saying, "Sorry, I forgot to wrap them …" **

"And you all that a gift?" Tonks said, "remind me that I never want a gift from you."

"Harry's actually really good about getting gifts," Ron said chuckling.

"And I bet Dobby is going to like what he got," Ginny said, and then blushed as she added, "especially because it's from Harry."

**But Dobby was utterly delighted. **

"**Socks are Dobby's favorite, favorite clothes, sir!" **

"See," Ginny said as other smiled at the elf's reactions.

**he said, ripping off his odd ones and pulling on Uncle Vernon's. "I has seven now, sir … But sir …" he said, his eyes widening, having pulled both socks up to their highest extent, so that they reached to the bottom of his shorts, "they has made a mistake in the shop, Harry Potter, they is giving you two the same!" **

There was some more laughing at that.

"**Ah, no, Harry, how come you didn't spot that?" said Ron, grinning over from his own bed, **

More laughter at that.

**which was now strewn with wrapping paper. "Tell you what, Dobby – here you go - take these two, and you can mix them up properly. And here's your sweater." **

Molly read the last part a little sadly, as Ron really did give the sweater that she made for him to the elf. She was also proud that Ron was so caring and nice, but she wish he would have kept the sweater all the same.

**He threw Dobby a pair of violet socks he had just unwrapped, and the handknitted sweater Mrs. Weasley had sent, Dobby looked quite overwhelmed.**

"You just had to outdo me, didn't you," Harry mocked grumbled at Ron and his friend grinned back.

"**Sir is very kind!" he squeaked, his eyes brimming with tears again, bowing deeply to Ron. "Dobby knew sir must be a great wizard, for he is Harry Potter's greatest friend, but Dobby did not know that he was also as generous of spirit, as noble, as selfless –" **

"**They're only socks," said Ron, who had gone slightly pink around the ears, **

"Shut up," Ron huffed, as several people laughed. He had started blushing too at what Dobby was saying.

"I always knew that elf was mad, this just proves it," Draco said, "imagine you as a great wizard."

"Ron is a great wizard," Hermione said, glaring at Draco, "and a much better one than you are."

"Okay," Draco said slowly and clearly in disbelief.

Ron didn't really hear him though, not the fact that the twins were sniggering again, he was just looking at Hermione … she just called _him_ a great wizard.

**though he looked rather pleased all the same. "Wow, Harry –" He had just opened Harry's present, a Chudley Cannon hat. "Cool!" He jammed it onto his head, where it clashed horribly with his hair. **

"You have the worst fashion sense that I know of," Harry told his friend.

"Who cares about fashion, it's a cannon hat," Ron shrugged.

**Dobby now handed Harry a small package, which turned out to be – socks. **

"Oh how surprising," Fred laughed.

"Well at least they're probably better than the mustard yellow socks you gave him," George said.

"**Dobby is making them himself, sir!" the elf said happily. "He is buying the wool out of his wages, sir!" **

**The left sock was bright red and had a pattern of broomsticks upon it; the right sock was green with a pattern of Snitches. **

"Yep, they are better all right," George laughed.

"They are," Harry agreed, though it wasn't by much.

"That was really nice of him to make them, himself," Molly said, "it's takes a lot of work to do that."

Though she wasn't looking at him, Ron couldn't help but think that she made that comment to him as he had just given away the sweater she had made for him.

"**They're … they're really … well, thanks, Dobby," said Harry, and he pulled them on, causing Dobby's eyes to leak with happiness again. **

"**Dobby must go now, sir, we is already making Christmas dinner in the kitchens!" said Dobby, and he hurried out of the dormitory, waving good-bye to Ron and the others as he passed. **

"Already … but it's early in the morning!" Hermione said, thinking that the elves having to work for hours and hours to make the dinner.

**Harry's other presents were much more satisfactory than Dobby's odd socks – with the obvious exception of the Dursleys', which consisted of a single tissue, an all time low – Harry supposed they too were remembering the Ton-Tongue Toffee. **

"Why would they even bother to send you anything, if they're just giving you a tissue?" George question shaking his head in disbelief.

Harry thought about that, obviously a tissue wasn't a proper present, but it was something. He wonder if it would feel worse to get nothing from them and wasn't sure.

**Hermione had given Harry a book called Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland; Ron, a bulging bag of Dungbombs; Sirius, a handy penknife with attachments to unlock any lock and undo any knot; **

"Wow, we want that!" the twins said together.

"Why would you need something like that," Molly asked them, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No idea Mum, it just be nice to have one in case it was needed," Fred answered jauntingly, not bothered by her glare at all.

Molly grumbled something and didn't start to read again until Arthur put his hand around her to make her relax some.

**and Hagrid, a vast box of sweets including all Harrys favorites: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees. There was also, of course, Mrs. Weasley's usual package, including a new sweater (green, with a picture of a dragon on it – Harry supposed Charlie had told her all about the Horntail), and a large quantity of homemade mince pies. **

"Thank you," Harry smiled at Molly and she smiled back.

"You're welcome," she said, at least someone seemed to appreciate her sweaters.

Ron frowned, if he got a sweater like that he might not have given his away … it sounded pretty cool.

**Harry and Ron met up with Hermione in the common room, and they went down to breakfast together. They spent most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents, then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers. **

**They went out onto the grounds in the afternoon; the snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle. Hermione chose to watch Harry and the Weasleys' snowball fight rather than join in, **

"Oh, come on Hermione, it's fun to have a snowball fight," Ron said. "You'd like it if you tried it."

"Maybe," Hermione said, though all she could think would happen was getting hit repeated by the snowballs, which didn't sound so fun.

"Trust me, Hermione, you'd have fun," Ron said earnestly,

**and at five o'clock said she was going back upstairs to get ready for the ball. **

"**What, you need three hours?" said Ron, looking at her incredulously and paying for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by George, hit him hard on the side of the head.**

"Nice one," Fred gave George a high five.

Juliet however was looking at Hermione, her daughter had never cared about fashion or getting ready for party before. She was wondering if Hermione was going to start doing that now and felt a little excited. She wish that she could have been there to help Hermione get ready, as she remembered when her own mum had helped her get ready for her first dance.

**"Who're you going with?" he yelled after Hermione, but she just waved and disappeared up the stone steps into the castle. **

**There was no Christmas tea today, as the ball included a feast, so at seven o'clock, when it had become hard to aim properly, the others abandoned their snowball fight and trooped back to the common room. The Fat Lady was sitting in her frame with her friend Violet from downstairs, both of them extremely tipsy, empty boxes of chocolate liqueurs littering the bottom other picture. **

"How do they even get boxes of chocolate liqueurs … or wine when they have some of that too?" Duncan mused, half his mind was on this question and the other half was on who his daughter was going to the ball with. He both wanted to know and wanted to stall for as long as possible.

"They usually take it from another painting," Percy answered.

"Hm … wouldn't they have already taken all the food and drinks from the panting available for them to take things from?" Duncan said.

"There's a replenishing charmed put on the paintings that have food and the such in them," Tonks answered this time. "After a certain amount of time the food returns to the proper painting, back to it's original state."

"**Lairy fights, that's the one!" she giggled when they gave the password, and she swung forward to let them inside. **

**Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville changed into their dress robes up in their dormitory, all of them looking very self-conscious, but none as much as Ron, who surveyed himself in the long mirror in the corner with an appalled look on his face. There was just no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything else. **

Ron groaned as other sniggered, it wasn't his bloody fault his dress robes sucked! Of course he would be the one that gets this crap!

Molly frowned, she was sure that those were the best robes that they could afford to give Ron …

**In a desperate attempt to make them look more manly, he used a Severing Charm on the ruff and cuffs. It worked fairly well; at least he was now lace-free, although he hadn't done a very neat job, and the edges still looked depressingly frayed as the boys set off downstairs. **

"**I still can't work out how you two got the best-looking girls in the year," muttered Dean. **

"He thinks the Patil twins are the best looking girls of our year," Harry said mildly surprised, he hadn't really thought of who were the best looking girls in their year.

"I guess so," Ron shrugged, though he didn't agree with him.

"And who do you think the best looking girl in your year is, Ronnie?" George asked him with an evil grin.

"That's none of you're business," Ron said turning red, not realizing that Hermione had turned to look at him, seeing very interested in his answer.

"**Animal magnetism," said Ron gloomily, pulling stray threads out of his cuffs. **

**The common room looked strange, full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of black. Parvati was waiting for Harry at the foot of the stairs. She looked very pretty indeed, in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists. Harry was relieved to see that she wasn't giggling. **

"It looks like Harry thinks Parvati is pretty too," Fred said. "Maybe you and Dean have a similar task in girls."

"Whatever," Harry shrugged, it wasn't like he really thought about going out with Parvati before and somehow he doubted he'd go out with her again after the ball was over with.

"**You – er – look nice," he said awkwardly. **

"Aw, Harry, don't hesitate with your compliments," Sirius advise, "girls like it when you're confident while you're saying something like that.

"**Thanks," she said. "Padma's going to meet you in the entrance hall," she added to Ron. **

"**Right," said Ron, looking around. "Where's Hermione?" **

Some people chuckled at that as others smiled. Clearly Ron was much more interested Hermione than his actually date.

**Parvati shrugged. "Shall we go down then, Harry?" **

"**Okay," said Harry, wishing he could just stay in the common room. Fred winked at Harry as he passed him on the way out of the portrait hole. **

**The entrance hall was packed with students too, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Parvati found her sister, Padma, and led her over to Harry and Ron. **

"**Hi," said Padma, who was looking just as pretty as Parvati in robes of bright turquoise. She ****didn't look too enthusiastic about having Ron as a partner, though; her dark eyes lingered on the frayed neck and sleeves of his dress robes as she looked him up and down. **

Ron grimaced at that … he didn't really care what she thought but that didn't mean he appreciated her looking at his robes like that. He couldn't really blame her, he wouldn't want to go with a git in a dress either.

"**Hi," said Ron, not looking at her, but staring around at the crowd. "Oh no …" **

**He bent his knees slightly to hide behind Harry, because Fleur Delacour was passing, looking stunning in robes of silver-gray satin, and accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Roger Davies. When they had disappeared, Ron stood straight again and stared over the heads of the crowd. **

"**Where is Hermione?" he said again. **

**There was another round of sniggering or smiles at that. **

"Ron, you really should pay more attention to your date," Bill said, trying to be kind. "It's not nice to ignore her."

"Obviously she doesn't want to be with me," Ron pointed out,_ and I don't want to go with her either. _

"It doesn't matter," Bill said. "You should treat her with respect."

"Yeah, girls talk, you know," Fred added. "You don't want to get a bad reputation."

**A group of Slytherins came up the steps from their dungeon common room. Malfoy was in front; he was wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar, which in Harry's opinion made him look like a vicar. **

Draco shot Harry a haughty glare as others laughed.

**Pansy Parkinson in very frilly robes of pale pink was clutching Malfoy's arm. **

"You're taking Parkinson," Ron snorted, "I guess you don't care about getting a good looking girl … or was she the best you could find."

"Shut you're mouth Weasel," Draco said turning pink, Pansy came from one of the most powerful families and was the only girl in Slytherin that was close to being his equal, of course he was going to go with her.

**Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing green; they resembled moss-colored boulders, and neither of them, Harry was pleased to see, had managed to find a partner. **

"That's a shocker," Fred snorted sarcastically.

"I think I wouldn't go at all if I didn't find a date," George added.

"Of course they have to go, Malfoy can't go anywhere without his body guards," Ron smirked.

**The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes Harry didn't know. Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights – meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer. **

**Then Professor McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!" **

Harry sighed, it was coming soon, he was going to have to dance in front of everyone …

**Parvati readjusted her bangles, beaming; she and Harry said, "See you in a minute" to Ron and Padma and walked forward, the chattering crowd parting to let them through. Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim other hat, told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down. **

"Isn't that just bloody perfect," Harry groaned to himself, even more prancing around than just the dance.

**Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies stationed themselves nearest the doors; Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her. Cedric and Cho were close to Harry too; he looked away from them so he wouldn't have to talk to them. His eyes fell instead on the girl next to Krum. His jaw dropped. **

**It was Hermione. **

"WHAT?!" everyone said at the same time, all looking at Hermione in shock.

"You're going with KRUM!" Ron exclaimed, not being able to stop himself form yelling the last word. He had expected to be angry when he heard who Hermione was going with, but this was a lot worse than he had anticipated. Viktor Krum, Quidditch star … not just a star but one of the best player there were right now … that was who Hermione was going with. That was the kind of guy she was looking for. No wonder she never gave me a second look, I can't compare to that, Ron thought despairingly. He looked over to Hermione, to see how she reacted to learning who her date was and was farther crushed to see she looked pleasantly surprised.

"I am," Hermione responded to Ron's statement, not hearing his pain over this, nor really noticing it was him that spoke. She was too stunned hearing this. She had wondered who she was going to the ball with, but she never one thought it would be Krum. Then again, she couldn't really think of anyone at school she would have said yes to other than her friend (that didn't even realize she was a girl), so it made sense that it was someone from another school. The fact that it was Viktor Krum, someone who clearly could have asked any girl out but seemingly choice her made her feel a little giddy.

"No!" Duncan protested with a groan loudly, this couldn't be happening. His baby girl can't go out with famous Quidditch player … if he was anything like the sport stars in the muggle world he would be much too use of girls …. he couldn't think of that anymore, not when his daughter … "You will not be going out with that …. Man!?"

"What?" Hermione said looking at her dad, surprised about how angry he seemed to be.

"He's much too old for you," Duncan said, _and too famous and will want too much and there's no bloody way that you're going to be dating him_, he added all this in his head.

"I'm sure it will be okay, honey," Juliet said in a pacifying voice that was not working on him, he turned to glare at her, she should be just as upset about this as he was. She gave him a pointed look that he didn't understand and he crossed his arms.

"How the bloody hell did you get Krum to ask you out!" Draco demanded, which drew Hermione's attention away from her parents (she was still trying to figure out why her dad was so upset about this). "I bet you put a spell on him … or a potion!"

"Hermione doesn't need to use a spell or potion to get someone to ask her out," Neville defended his friend, as it seemed like the others were still shocked about learning who had asked her out. They were glaring at Draco, they just didn't seem to be able to talk yet.

"Hmph," Draco huffed, _as if, bet she did poison him. _

**But she didn't look like Hermione at all. **

Hermione frowned, _what was that supposed to mean?_ She remembered that Harry had thought she was pretty when she mentioned Krum's date the first time, apparently Harry didn't think of her as being pretty. She glanced at Ron, who was looking very surly at the moment, and thought that he probably thought the same thing.

**She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow – or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. **

**She was also smiling – rather nervously, it was true – but the reduction in the size of her front teeth was more noticeable than ever; Harry couldn't understand how he hadn't spotted it before. **

"It's probably because you don't look at Hermione like that," Tonks said.

"Like what?" Harry questioned, of course he looked at Hermione all the time, she was his friend and they spent most of the day together after all.

"Like a girl," Tonks said, and when she noticed that Hermione grimaced she quickly added, "I mean like someone you'd think about dating."

"Oh," Harry said understanding her meaning and nodded his head, "that's true, I don't."

Ron couldn't help but look up at Harry at the mention of that and felt slightly better. He had wondered if maybe Harry did think of her that way, it was good to know that he didn't. Of course now that he saw Hermione with nice hair and pretty teeth and all, maybe that will change … _What does it effing matter anyways? She's going out with bloody Viktor Krum!_

"**Hi, Harry!" she said. "Hi, Parvati!" **

**Parvati was gazing at Hermione in unflattering disbelief. **

Hermione grimaced at that, _why was Parvati looking at her like that? _

"Maybe she's jealous of you," Ginny said, who herself was jealous of Parvati for being the one that Harry was going with.

"You think she wanted to go with Viktor?" Hermione asked.

"Well that's not what I meant," Ginny admitted honestly, "but she probably thought she was the only one in our year that was going out with a champion …"

"Hm …" was all Hermione had to say to that**. **

**She wasn't the only one either; when the doors to the Great Hall opened, Krum's fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. Pansy Parkinson gaped at her as she walked by with Malfoy, **

"It looks like your date might have wanted to go with someone else," Fred said with a smirk at Draco.

**and even he didn't seem to be able to find an insult to throw at her. Ron, however, walked right past Hermione without looking at her. **

Hermione frowned at that, _why wouldn't Ron look at her? _She glanced over at the Ron sitting next to her again, and he wasn't looking at her either.

**Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people. **

**Harry concentrated on not tripping over his feet. Parvati seemed to be enjoying herself; she was beaming around at everybody, steering Harry so forcefully that he felt as though he were a show dog she was putting through its paces. **

Several people snorted at that and Harry made a face.

"It seems like Parvati likes being the champions partner more than being with you," Sirius noted, looking a little offended about the show dog comment.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, it was annoying, though it was much better than going to the dance my himself.

Ginny couldn't help but smile at Harry's obvious annoyance, he obviously didn't like going with Parvati, maybe if she could just ask him … _Don't be stupid, he wants to go with Cho and will probably ask her earlier,_ she thought bitterly to herself, _beside do you really think you could ask him? _

**He caught sight of Ron and Padma as he neared the top table. Ron was watching Hermione pass with narrowed eyes. Padma was looking sulky. **

**Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. **

"Ron you've really got to work on your expression, you don't want to look like that guy," Fred teased.

Ron just continued scowling, not even hearing Fred's comment.

**Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But Mr. Crouch, Harry suddenly realized, was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley. **

"What are you doing there?" George asked him looking shocked.

"I don't know," Percy said stiffly, he didn't like George's tone, but he did seem pleased with himself for being there. "It hasn't happen yet."

**When the champions and their partners reached the table, Percy drew out the empty chair beside him, staring pointedly at Harry. Harry took the hint and sat down next to Percy, who was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes and an expression of such smugness that Harry thought it ought to be fined. **

"**Hmph," Percy huffed. **

"Why did you have to seat next to him, you know he's going to be unbearable now," Fred sighed.

"Fred, don't be rude," Molly reprimanded, as Percy glared at him.

Harry didn't answer, though he was sure Fred was right. Still, Harry couldn't see how he could not seat next to Percy if he was offered the seat in that way.

"**I've been promoted," Percy said before Harry could even ask, and from his tone, he might have been announcing his election as supreme ruler of the universe. **

Percy ignored the last part of the Harry's thought as he smiled. He been promoted and he's only been working for a few months … this was brilliant!

**"I'm now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him." **

And to personal assistant! Percy said practically bouncing in his seat in excitement.

"You're going to be impossible to leave with after that," Fred sighed.

"I'm just glad we're at Hogwarts now," George added.

"Hush boys," Molly glared at them and then beamed at Percy, "I'm so proud of you Percy, I always knew you'd do wonderful at your job!"

"Thanks mum," Percy said, puffing out his chest as he smiled smugly. He ignored at his siblings (minus Bill) rolled their eyes at him.

"**Why didn't he come?" Harry asked. He wasn't looking forward to being lectured on cauldron bottoms all through dinner. **

"**I'm afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn't well, not well at all. Hasn't been right since the World Cup. Hardly surprising – overwork. He's not as young as he was – though still quite brilliant, of course, the mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, and then, Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehavior of that house-elf of his, Blinky, or whatever she was called. **

Hermione glared at Percy for calling Winky, Blinky, and even more so when he didn't even seem to care to get her name right. Percy didn't even notice that.

**Naturally, he dismissed her immediately afterward, but – well, as I say, he's getting on, he needs looking after, and I think he's found a definite drop in his home comforts since she left. And then we had the tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with – that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around – no, poor man, he's having a well earned, quiet Christmas. I'm just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his place." **

"It's a dinner, Percy, not important Ministry meeting or something like that," Fred pointed out.

**Harry wanted very much to ask whether Mr. Crouch had stopped calling Percy "Weatherby" yet, but resisted the temptation. **

This had all of Percy sibling laughing and Percy turning red as he glared at Harry … it didn't matter if he hadn't asked in person, everyone in the room had just heard it.

"Sorry," Harry said, uncomfortable about apologizing about something that hadn't happened yet.

**There was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but small menus were lying in front of each of them. Harry picked his up uncertainly and looked around – there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!" **

**And pork chops appeared. **

"That's cool," Sirius said, "you can get whatever you ask for!"

"It seems so, as long as it's on the menu," Remus reasoned.

"They should always do that," Sirius smiled.

"I don't see why you're so happy about that, you ate just about everything that was served at Hogwarts," Remus reminded him.

"I still had my favorites … it would have been nice to have always been able to have them," Sirius said.

"Wouldn't that mean a lot more work for the elves though," Hermione said grimacing, "having to make everything to order like this. And Dobby said that they were starting dinner so early in the morning …"

"Hm … that's true," Sirius sighed, "I supposed that would be a lot of work for them."

**Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates too. Harry glanced up at Hermione to see how she felt about this new and more complicated method of dining – surely it meant plenty of extra work for the house-elves? – but for once, Hermione didn't seem to be thinking about S.P.E.W. She was deep in talk with Viktor Krum and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating. **

Hermione frowned, she was a bit disappointed in herself for not thinking about the elves just because she was talking with someone. Of course the idea of talking with Krum and learning more about where he came from and Durmstrang was fascinating …

Ron scowl deepened, not even her insane crusade with he elves matter to her which only confirmed that she really wanted to go out with Krum.

**It now occurred to Harry that he had never actually heard Krum speak before, but he was certainly talking now, and very enthusiastically at that. **

"**Veil, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking," he was telling Hermione. "Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even than these – though in vinter, ve have very little daylight, so ve are not enjoying them. But in summer ve are flying every day, over the lakes and the mountains – " **

"**Now, now, Viktor!" said Karkaroff with a laugh that didn't reach his cold eyes, "don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!" **

Ron gritted his teeth at, _charming friend_.

Duncan on the other hand was listening closely to what Krum was saying, at least it wasn't anything to bad … but that's only because there is so many people around …

**Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Igor, all this secrecy … one would almost think you didn't want visitors." **

"**Well, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, displaying his yellowing teeth to their fullest extent, "we are all protective of our private domains, are we not? Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school's secrets, and right to protect them?" **

"**Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor," said Dumbledore amicably. **

"Yeah, well we do," Sirius said smugly, pointing to himself and Remus.

"So do we," the twins added.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Teddy said to them and they looked at him as he smiled at them.

"Oh please, you're just saying that to make us question ourselves," Sirius said to the boy from the future and Teddy smile grew. "And that smirk just proves my point."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Sirius," Remus said, "it's hard to believe that we have learned all of Hogwarts secrets …"

"But we spent seven years mapping out the place, looking for all the hidden passages …" Sirius complained.

"And yet we never found the Chamber of Secrets, which we know Harry, Ron and Hermione had," Remus pointed out and Sirius pouted.

"Fine … but that's the only thing we don't know about," Sirius said stubbornly.

"If that's what you must believe," Teddy shrugged, still smiling and Sirius glared at him.

**"Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turning on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished. But I must keep an eye out for it. Possibly it is only accessible at five-thirty in the morning. Or it may only appear at the quarter moon – or when the seeker has an exceptionally full bladder." **

Sirius scowl deepened.

"You haven't seen that room before, have you?" Tonks said smiling amusingly as he made a face at her.

**Harry snorted into his plate of goulash. Percy frowned, but Harry could have sworn Dumbledore had given him a very small wink. **

**Meanwhile Fleur Delacour was criticizing the Hogwarts decorations to Roger Davies. **

"Argh," Hermione groaned, and other did seemed to be slightly annoyed that every time Fleur was mentioned she seemed to be complaining about something.

Teddy frowned, he didn't like Hogwarts being complained about anymore than anyone else did, and wished his aunt would stop doing it.

"**Zis is nothing," she said dismissively, looking around at the sparkling walls of the Great Hall. "At ze Palace of Beauxbatons, we 'ave ice sculptures all around ze dining chamber at Chreestmas. Zey do not melt, of course… zey are like 'uge statues of diamond, glittering around ze place. And ze food is seemply superb. And we 'ave choirs of wood nymphs, 'oo serenade us as we eat. We 'ave none of zis ugly armor in ze 'alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, 'e would be expelled like zat." She slapped her hand onto the table impatiently. **

**Roger Davies was watching her talk with a very dazed look on his face, and he kept missing his mouth with his fork. Harry had the impression that Davies was too busy staring at Fleur to take in a word she was saying. **

"What an idiot," Bill rolled his eyes.

With this comment Teddy's lips went thin as he tried not to laugh.

"**Absolutely right," he said quickly, slapping his own hand down on the table in imitation of Fleur. "Like that. Yeah." **

**Harry looked around the Hall. Hagrid was sitting at one of the other staff tables; he was back in his horrible hairy brown suit and gazing up at the top table. Harry saw him give a small wave, and looking around, saw Madame Maxime return it, her opals glittering in the candlelight. **

"Aw, they should have sat together," Ginny said, "that would have been cute."

**Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly; he kept calling her "Hermy-own." **

Several people snorted at that as Hermione blushed and made a face.

"**Her-my-oh-nee," she said slowly and clearly. **

"**Herm-own-ninny." **

There was more laughter.

"**Close enough," she said, catching Harry's eye and grinning. **

"It wasn't even close at all," Ron grumbled bitterly, _she even care the git can't say her name right!_

**When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.**

**The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause; **

"Hm I wouldn't think they would want to play with instruments that aren't their own," Bill noted, thinking about how Dumbledore had just made the stage and the instruments just appear. He wondered if they had always been there somehow, in a smaller form maybe, then shrugged, it didn't really matter.

**they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments, and Harry, who had been so interested in watching them that he had almost forgotten what was coming, suddenly realized that the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and that the other champions and their partners were standing up. **

"**Come on!" Parvati hissed. "We're supposed to dance!" **

**Harry tripped over his dress robes as he stood up. **

Several people sniggered at Harry's action as he blushed. _Stupid dance. _

**The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune; Harry walked onto the brightly lit dance floor, carefully avoiding catching anyone's eye (he could see Seamus and Dean waving at him and sniggering), **

"Gits," Harry grumbled, which caused the people in the room to laugh more and Harry glared at them all.

**and next moment, Parvati had seized his hands, placed one around her waist, and was holding the other tightly in hers. **

**It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Harry thought, revolving slowly on the spot (Parvati was steering). **

"You do realize you're supposed to lead," Fred informed him while laughing.

"What do I care, as long as I don't fall down," Harry shrugged, it was probably better that she was leading.

**He kept his eyes fixed over the heads of the watching people, and very soon many of them too had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the center of attention. Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby – he could see Ginny wincing frequently as Neville trod on her feet – **

"Sorry," Neville said as Ginny made a face.

"Er … it's okay," she wasn't sure what else she could say to that after all.

**and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg. **

"Yeah, I'd avoid those too," Tonks said.

"**Nice socks Potter," Moody growled as he passed, his magical eye staring through Harry's robes. **

"**Oh – yeah, Dobby the house-elf knitted them for me," said Harry, grinning. **

"You're still wearing Dobby's socks," George chuckled. "I'm not sure they go with the outfit."

"Whatever," Harry shrugged, like he was really going to change his socks if he didn't have to.

"**He is so creepy!" Parvati whispered as Moody clunked away. "I don't think that eye should be allowed." **

"Well I can see how she could say that, after all the eye can see right though clothes …" George pointed out.

"Moody doesn't use the eye like that!" Tonks glared murderously at George, who flinched away from her.

"I was only joking," George muttered.

Teddy however had a grimace as he thought horrified whether or not Crouch had used the eye like that. He seriously hoped now but he pushed the thought from his mind as he knew he'd never get an answer to that.

**Harry heard the final, quavering note from the bagpipe with relief. The Weird Sisters stopped playing, applause filled the hall once more, and Harry let go of Parvati at once. **

"**Let's sit down, shall we?" **

There was sniggering again.

"**Oh - but - this is a really good one!" Parvati said as the Weird Sisters struck up a new song, which was much faster. **

"**No, I don't like it," Harry lied, and he led her away from the dance floor, **

More sniggering at that.

**past Fred and Angelina, who were dancing so exhuberantly that people around them were backing away in fear of injury, and over to the table where Ron and Padma were sitting. **

"Well how else am I supposed to dance," Fred laughed, as he noticed the other looking at him. He knew Angelina was a good pick to go with, she wasn't afraid of having a good time.

George couldn't help but the small frown that came to his face but he brushed it off, telling himself that he was probably having a good time with his date as well.

"**How's it going?" Harry asked Ron, sitting down and opening a bottle of butterbeer. **

**Ron didn't answer. He was glaring at Hermione and Krum, who were dancing nearby. **

Hermione looked at Ron, who looked as if he was glaring at the floor, his ears very red. _Why was he glaring at her? What did she do that made him so angry? _

**Padma was sitting with her arms and legs crossed, one foot jiggling in time to the music. Every now and then she threw a disgruntled look at Ron, who was completely ignoring her. **

Bill shook his head, thinking again that Ron really shouldn't be ignoring his actually date. Of course he understood why Ron wasn't, but he still didn't think it was the right move to make.

**Parvati sat down on Harry's other side, crossed her arms and legs too, and within minutes was asked to dance by a boy from Beauxbatons. **

"**You don't mind, do you, Harry?" Parvati said. **

"**What?" said Harry, who was now watching Cho and Cedric. **

"You two really need to learn the proper way of going out with a girl," Fred said shaking his head. "Especially if you like someone else, you want to dance and look happy and try to make the other person jealous."

_As if I could_, Ron snorted in his head, _maybe if it was Viktor effing Krum I'd have a chance … _

"I don't me making a fool of myself is going to make anyone jealous," Harry answered.

"You have a point," Fred responded with a laugh.

"**Oh never mind," snapped Parvati, and she went off with the boy from Beauxbatons. When the song ended, she did not return. **

**Hermione came over and sat down in Parvati's empty chair. She was a bit pink in the face from dancing. **

Hermione sat forward in her seat, maybe she'll finally get some answer out of Ron now. Though looking at how angry he was, that might not be the best thing. Still she was staring to come to the conclusion that maybe …

"**Hi," said Harry. Ron didn't say anything. **

"**It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks." **

**Ron gave her a withering look. "Viktor?" he said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?" **

Hermione looked at Ron in surprised, this not making sense to her. It seemed like he was mad at Viktor but as far as she knew he idolized the Quidditch star.

Molly frowned looking upset with Ron for his rude behavior.

**Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What's up with you?" she said. **

"**If you don't know," said Ron scathingly, "I'm not going to tell you." **

"No, please do tell us, we'd like to hear this," George said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

**Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged. **

"**Ron, what -?" **

"**He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You - you're -" Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime, "fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!" **

"Excuse me?!" Hermione gaped at Ron, is that what got him all upset. She had wondered … hoped … maybe, just maybe he was jealous. But no, it was some stupid idea of fraternizing with the enemy.

Ron didn't responded, he hadn't be thinking about that at all, as that didn't seem to matter to him in the least. However, he was able to note that that was something good to pull out of his arse so that he didn't have to tell her the real reason why he was so angry.

**Hermione's mouth fell open. **

"**Don't be so stupid!" she said after a moment. "The enemy! Honestly – who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?" **

_I'm never going to get that stupid model!_ Ron thought bitterly, he didn't need a constant reminder of how inadequate he was.

"That's not the same thing as going out with the man!" Duncan hissed under his breath, he couldn't think of Krum as a boy as long as he was going out with his fourteen, though in the book she'd be fifteen, year old daughter.

Juliet shot another look at her husband, but he ignored that.

**Ron chose to ignore this. "I s'pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?" **

"**Yes, he did," said Hermione, the pink patches on her cheeks glowing more brightly. "So what?" **

"**What happened – trying to get him to join spew, were you?" **

"**No, I wasn't! If you really want to know, he – he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!" Hermione said this very quickly, and blushed so deeply that she was the same color as Parvati's robes. **

"And you believe that," Ron snarled, much in away that Draco would have done. "He's famous … he could ask anyone … why would he ever need to pluck up his courage?!"

"You've already made it clear that you don't think I'm worthy of asking out," Hermione snapped back at him, her glare was filled mostly with angry, but that was not all she was feeling. "Apparently that's goes for everyone now."

Ron stared at her incredulously, did she really just tell him that he didn't want to ask her out …

She looked away from him as her anger ebbed away to the pain his words seemed to bring with them. If he had continued to argue with her she would have snapped back, but she couldn't take his owed expression.

"**Yeah, well – that's his story," said Ron nastily. **

"**And what's that supposed to mean?" **

"**Obvious, isn't it? He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with … He's just trying to get closer to Harry – get inside information on him – or get near enough to jinx him – " **

**Hermione looked as though Ron had slapped her. When she spoke, her voice quivered. **

Hermione was the one quivering, it did feel as if Ron had slapped her with his words. Not only was he telling her that she was undesirable, but he also seemed to think that she would allow Harry to get hurt just because some guy showed interest to her.

"I bet that jerk is trying to do that," Duncan grumbled, in a voice that only his wife could hear. _And probably trying to get something else out of the relationship too,_ he added in his thoughts with a shoulder.

"**For your information, he hasn't asked me one single thing about Harry, not one -" **

**Ron changed tack at the speed of light. **

"**Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cozy little library sessions -" **

Hermione couldn't help but turn to glare at Ron for saying that her angry back with vengeance.

Ron stared back at her, looking like he wasn't about to apologize at all for what his book self was saying.

"**I'd never help him work out that egg!" said Hermione, looking outraged. "Never. How could you say something like that – I want Harry to win the tournament. Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?" **

"**You've got a funny way of showing it," sneered Ron. **

"Not as funny as you abandoning him before the first task," Hermione pointed out viciously, but Ron was too caught up with his only annoyance to care about the shot she just took at him.

"**This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!" said Hermione hotly. **

"**No it isn't!" shouted Ron. "It's about winning!" **

**People were starting to stare at them. **

"**Ron," said Harry quietly, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum -" **

"Shush Harry, this isn't about you," Fred said to the book, it was rather entertaining watching the two fight like this, both of them being clueless about the others feelings.

**But Ron ignored Harry too. **

"**Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," said Ron. **

"**Don't call him Vicky!" **

**Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off across the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd. Ron watched her go with a mixture of anger and satisfaction on his face. **

"You are such an idiot, Ron," Ginny told her bother, watching the two fight had been like watching a car crush, it was hard to look away but hard to watch too. "Why are you satisfied about that?"

Ron didn't answer, though he did think about the question. Maybe he was just glad that he made her upset … she hopefully she wouldn't enjoy the rest of the night with that bloody jerk now.

"**Are you going to ask me to dance at all?" Padma asked him. **

"**No," said Ron, still glaring after Hermione. **

"**Fine," snapped Padma, and she got up and went to join Parvati and the Beauxbatons boy, who conjured up one of his friends to join them so fast that Harry could have sworn he had zoomed him there by a Summoning Charm. **

"**Vare is Herm-own-ninny?" said a voice. **

**Krum had just arrived at their table clutching two butterbeers. **

"**No idea," said Ron mulishly, looking up at him. "Lost her, have you?" **

**Krum was looking surly again. **

_Good_, Duncan and Ron both thought.

"Well he's got nothing on how Ron looks now," George pointed out.

Duncan then looked over to Ron, who was indeed looking more than just surly. It was hard for him to imagine the boy had reacted the way he had because he thought Hermione was fraternizing with the enemy as he had said. He was going to have to keep a close eye on Ron from now on, but at least after what he just said, it'd be some time before Hermione would get over this.

"**Veil, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks," he said, and he slouched off. **

"**Made friends with Viktor Krum, have you, Ron?" **

**Percy had bustled over, rubbing his hands together and looking extremely pompous. "Excellent! That's the whole point, you know - international magical cooperation!" **

"No, didn't you hear, the whole point is to win," George said to Percy.

**To Harry's displeasure, Percy now took Padma's vacated seat. The top table was now empty; Professor Dumbledore was dancing with Professor Sprout, Ludo Bagman with Professor McGonagall; Madame Maxime and Hagrid were cutting a wide path around the dance floor as they waltzed through the students, **

"That must be even more dangerous than me and Angelina dancing," Fred chuckled, everyone had been much to quiet as Ron and Hermione had their argument for his taste and he was about to change that.

**and Karkaroff was nowhere to be seen. When the next song ended, everybody applauded once more, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman kiss Professor McGonagall's hand and make his way back through the crowds, at which point Fred and George accosted him. **

"Boys, you shouldn't bother him …" Molly said.

"We probably just want to talk to him about our products again," George said thoughtfully, not really knowing why else he and Fred would want to talk to Bagman.

"**What do they think they're doing, annoying senior Ministry members?" Percy hissed, watching Fred and George suspiciously. "No respect …" **

**Ludo Bagman shook off Fred and George fairly quickly, however, and, spotting Harry, waved and came over to their table. **

"**I hope my brothers weren't bothering you, Mr. Bagman?" said Percy at once. **

"**What? Oh not at all, not at all!" said Bagman. "No, they were just telling me a bit more about those fake wands of theirs. Wondering if I could advise them on the marketing. I've promised to put them in touch with a couple of contacts of mine at Zonko's Joke Shop …"**

"I guess you were right George," Tonks said to him, but Fred and George just looked at each other confused.

It might be a good thing to have the wands on the market, but if they talked to someone at Zonko's it made it seem like they would sell the wands there? They didn't really want to do that, as they were planning on opening their own Joke shop.

"Maybe the contact would just give us tips or something," Fred said uncertainly to his twin.

**Percy didn't look happy about this at all, and Harry was prepared to bet he would be rushing to tell Mrs. Weasley about this the moment he got home. **

Now Fred and George glared at Percy as Percy glared at Harry.

**Apparently Fred and George's plans had grown even more ambitious lately, if they were hoping to sell to the public. Bagman opened his mouth to ask Harry something, but Percy diverted him. **

"**How do you feel the tournament's going, Mr. Bagman? Our department's quite satisfied – the hitch with the Goblet of Fire" – he glanced at Harry – "was a little unfortunate, of course, but it seems to have gone very smoothly since, don't you think?" **

"Hitch … you describe Harry getting chosen as a champion as a hitch!" Sirius glared at him.

"It wasn't something that was planned," Percy said pompously, not backing down from the glare he was getting. "And Harry's okay."

"**Oh yes," Bagman said cheerfully, "it's all been enormous fun. How's old Barty doing? Shame he couldn't come." **

"**Oh I'm sure Mr. Crouch will be up and about in no time," said Percy importantly, "but in the meantime, I'm more than willing to take up the slack. Of course, it's not all attending balls" – he laughed airily – "oh no, I've had to deal with all sorts of things that have cropped up in his absence – you heard Ali Bashir was caught smuggling a consignment of flying carpets into the country? **

Arthur sighed, having warned Ali multiple times that he couldn't bring his flying carpets here. He'd probably have to pay a heavy fine for this now.

**And then we've been trying to persuade the Transylvanians to sign the International Ban on Dueling. I've got a meeting with their Head of Magical Cooperation in the new year – " **

"Wow Perce, you really are busy!" Fred said in a mock pleased tone that had Percy glaring at him.

"**Let's go for a walk," Ron muttered to Harry, "get away from Percy …" **

**Pretending they wanted more drinks Harry and Ron left the table, edged around the dance floor, and slipped out into the entrance hall. The front doors stood open, and the fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as they went down the front steps, where they found themselves surrounded by bushes; winding, ornamental paths; and large stone statues. Harry could hear splashing water, which sounded like a fountain. Here and there, people were sitting on carved benches. **

"Aw, the two of you going on a midnight stroll together," Fred teased, though was disappointed when Ron didn't so much as look at him.

**He and Ron set off along one of the winding paths through the rosebushes, but they had gone only a short way when they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice. **

"… **don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor." **

"**Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroffs voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it _" **

"**Then flee," said Snapes voice curtly. "Flee – I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts." **

**Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner. **

"What the bloody hell are they talking about?" Sirius asked, he wanted to hear everything before he interrupted and it seemed like he had. "What's getting clearer?"

"I don't know," Arthur answered as the room had gone silent as everyone was clearly thinking. "But something that would make Snape advise Karkaroff to flee … well, I imagine it's not something any of us are going to like."

**Snape had his wand out and was blasting rosebushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them. **

"**Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" Snape snarled as a girl ran past him. "And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!" as a boy went rushing after her. **

"Talking about something we don't want to happen …" George said, thinking about being caught in the bushes with a girl by Snape. Not that he would be stupid enough to go to the bushes in the first place …

**"And what are you two doing?" he added, catching sight of Harry and Ron on the path ahead. Karkaroff, Harry saw, looked slightly discomposed to see them standing there. His hand went nervously to his goatee, and he began winding it around his finger. **

"**We're walking," Ron told Snape shortly. "Not against the law, is it?" **

Molly shook her head, Ron really need to learn the proper way to talk to people, he seemed to be very rude to everyone in this chapter. Especially the way he had snapped at Hermione …

"**Keep walking, then!" Snape snarled, and he brushed past them, his long black cloak billowing out behind him. Karkaroff hurried away after Snape. Harry and Ron continued down the path. **

"**What's got Karkaroff all worried?" Ron muttered. **

"**And since when have he and Snape been on first-name terms?"said Harry slowly. **

Sirius narrowed his eyes as he glared at the book.

**They had reached a large stone reindeer now, over which they could see the sparkling jets of a tall fountain. The shadowy outlines of two enormous people were visible on a stone bench, watching the water in the moonlight. And then Harry heard Hagrid speak. **

"**Momen' I saw yeh, I knew," he was saying, in an oddly husky voice. **

**Harry and Ron froze. This didn't sound like the sort of scene they ought to walk in on, somehow … **

"No, this sounds like the perfect kind of conversation you should listen to," Fred said, "don't you care about getting the best gossip at school."

"No," Harry said looking appalled at the very idea of that, and he really didn't want to hear whatever it was that Hagrid was about to say.

**Harry looked around, back up the path, and saw Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies standing half-concealed in a rosebush nearby. He tapped Ron on the shoulder and jerked his head toward them, meaning that they could easily sneak off that way without being noticed (Fleur and Davies looked very busy to Harry), but Ron, eyes widening in horror at the sight of Fleur, shook his head vigorously, and pulled Harry deeper into the shadows behind the reindeer. **

"Argh, Ron she's not going to notice," Harry complained, he really didn't want to hear whatever it was Hagrid was about to say.

Ron was pretty sure he didn't want to cross another girl that didn't want anything to do with him … and that he publicly made a fool of himself in front of.

Teddy was looking at Bill, finding it odd that he didn't look annoyed at all about what was going on, not that Bill had any reason to by this point.

"**What did you know, 'Agrid?" said Madame Maxime, a purr in her low voice. **

**Harry definitely didn't want to listen to this; he knew Hagrid would hate to be overheard in a situation like this (he certainly would have) – if it had been possible he would have put his fingers in his ears and hummed loudly, but that wasn't really an option. **

"Come on Harry, it's not that bad, is it?" Ron asked him, being brought slightly out of his stupor over everything that was happening with Hermione.

Harry looked at him, he had to just listen to Ron and Hermione have a fight where Ron seemed to be clearly jealous, he didn't think he wanted to hear Hagrid go on about Madame Maxime now … or ever. "Yeah … it's really that bad."

**Instead he tried to interest himself in a beetle crawling along the stone reindeer's back, but the beetle just wasn't interesting enough to block out Hagrid's next words. **

"Merlin, it must be bad if a beetle wasn't interesting enough to you," George said sarcastically.

"**I jus' knew … knew you were like me … Was it yer mother or yer father?" **

"**I – I don't know what you mean, 'Agrid …" **

"**It was my mother," said Hagrid quietly. "She was one o' the las' ones in Britain. 'Course, I can' remember her too well … she left, see. When I was abou' three. She wasn' really the maternal sort. Well … it's not in their natures, is it? Dunno what happened to her … might be dead fer all I know …" **

Everyone was silent, except for Molly who was reading, as they realized that Hagrid wasn't making some, clumsy, attempt to chat up Madame Maxime but was talking about something much more personal. Harry felt even worse about overhearing this conversation as he was sure this wasn't something that Hagrid would want him hearing, as he had never brought it up in they years that they've known each other.

**Madame Maxime didn't say anything. And Harry, in spite of himself, took his eyes off the beetle and looked over the top of the reindeer's antlers, listening … He had never heard Hagrid talk about his childhood before. **

"**Me dad was broken-hearted when she wen'. Tiny little bloke, my dad was. By the time I was six I could lift him up an' put him on top o' the dresser if he annoyed me. Used ter make him laugh …" Hagrid's deep voice broke. **

And that image did make a few people laugh, but everyone was still listening closely to what Hagrid had to say.

**Madame Maxime was listening, motionless, apparently staring at the silvery fountain. "Dad raised me … but he died, o' course, jus' after I started school. Sorta had ter make me own way after that. Dumbledore was a real help, mind. Very kind ter me, he was …" **

**Hagrid pulled out a large spotted silk handkerchief and blew his nose heavily. **

"**So … anyway … enough abou' me. What about you? Which side you got it on?" **

**But Madame Maxime had suddenly got to her feet. **

"Oh dear, I don't think that's a good question for him to ask," Molly said before she continued reading. Like most of the other adults in the room she had already guessed what Hagrid was, though no one had ever asked him personally. It wasn't something you asked, which Hagrid didn't seem to realize, though he of all people should have known better.

"**It is chilly," she said – but whatever the weather was doing, it was nowhere near as cold as her voice. "I think I will go in now." **

"**Eh?" said Hagrid blankly. "No, don go! I've – I've never met another one before!" **

"**Anuzzer what, precisely?" said Madame Maxime, her tone icy. **

"Don't answer her Hagrid," Ron advised and everyone else was thinking the same thing. She was making it pretty clear she didn't want to talk about this.

**Harry could have told Hagrid it was best not to answer; he stood there in the shadows gritting his teeth, hoping against hope he wouldn't – but it was no good. **

"It seems like Hagrid is even worse than you are when it comes to talking to girls," George said.

"**Another half-giant, o' course!" said Hagrid. **

"He's a giant!" Draco gasped.

"No, he's a half giant," Fred replied, looking sort of stunned himself, he had never really thought about why Hagrid was so big, to tell the truth, not thinking it really mattered.

"We have a giant teaching us! No wondering his classes are so bloody dangerous!" Draco continued to say. I'm going to let Father know about this … that should get rid of the beast!

"No, actually Care of Magical Creatures was just as dangerous with Kettleburn as the professor," Tonks said, think of more the many times that things went wrong and someone got a mild injury. "And anyone would how really gives thought to why Hagrid is so big, would have already realized that he was a half-giant."

Draco scowled at that, he noticed that a lot of people here didn't seem surprised and realized that his dad probably already figured this out about Hagrid, especially if these commoner could do so.

"'**Ow dare you!" shrieked Madame Maxime. Her voice exploded through the peaceful night air like a foghorn; behind him. Harry heard Fleur and Roger fall out of their rosebush. "I 'ave nevair been more insulted in my life! 'Alf-giant? Moi? I 'ave – I 'ave big bones!" **

"Well that's a load of crap," Sirius said, "if Hagrid a half giant than so is she."

"Of course she would has to be," Arthur said sadly, "but expect that isn't something she would like being called even if it is another half giant saying it."

**She stormed away; great multicolored swarms of fairies rose into the air as she passed, angrily pushing aside bushes. Hagrid was still sitting on the bench, staring after her. It was much too dark to make out his expression. Then, after about a minute, he stood up and strode away, not back to the castle, but off out into the dark grounds in the direction of his cabin. **

"Poor Hagrid," Ginny said, feeling bad for him, and rather angry at Madame Maxime for how she responded. She didn't care what her dad said about it being hard for her to be called that, if she was one two she shouldn't have reacted that way and hurt Hagrid's feelings.

"**C'mon," Harry said, very quietly to Ron. "Let's go …" **

**But Ron didn't move. **

"**What's up?" said Harry, looking at him. **

**Ron looked around at Harry, his expression very serious indeed. **

"**Did you know?" he whispered. "About Hagrid being half-giant?" **

"**No," Harry said, shrugging. "So what?" **

Everyone looked incredulously at Harry and his groaned.

**He knew immediately, from the look Ron was giving him, that he was once again revealing his ignorance of the wizarding world. **

And Harry sighed again at the fact that everyone was getting to hear his thoughts, as they were clearly the same as the one he was having right now.

**Brought up by the Dursleys, there were many things that wizards took for granted that were revelations to Harry, but these surprises had become fewer with each successive year. Now, however, he could tell that most wizards would not have said **"**So what?" upon finding out that one of their friends had a giantess for a mother. **

"**I'll explain inside," said Ron quietly, "c'mon…" **

**Fleur and Roger Davies had disappeared, probably into a more private clump of bushes. Harry and Ron returned to the Great Hall. Parvati and Padma were now sitting at a distant table with a whole crowd of Beauxbatons boys, and Hermione was once more dancing with Krum. **

Ron glared at the book, so much for ruining her night … she probably didn't even care what he said after _Vicky_ came back to join her.

Duncan was glaring at the book too, he was sure he couldn't take more of the mention of that man and his little girl. He didn't even notice the eye roll his wife sent to him this time.

**Harry and Ron sat down at a table far removed from the dance floor. **

"**So?" Harry prompted Ron. "What's the problem with giants?" **

"**Well, they're … they're …" Ron struggled for words. "… not very nice," he finished lamely. **

"Seriously, that's what you're going with?" George questioned. "They're not nice."

"**Who cares?" Harry said. "There's nothing wrong with Hagrid!" **

"That's right, and that's what matters most," Sirius said, he was looking at Remus who had a far away look, he knew all too well how people can jump to a certain conclusion when they learn something like this.

Teddy looked at them, he had similar problems given his parentage and Hagrid had always been very good to him whenever he had been bothered about it.

"**I know there isn't, but … blimey, no wonder he keeps it quiet," Ron said, shaking his head. "I always thought he'd got in the way of a bad Engorgement Charm when he was a kid or something. Didn't like to mention it …"**

"A charm like that would ware off in time," Bill pointed out.

"Well, it was the best I could come up with," Ron grumbled.

"That's because you're close to Hagrid," Tonks said. "It's easier for you to think of his size being caused by a charm or something like it because you really don't want to know the truth."

Draco frowned, he hated the beast of a man and he had always thought he had swallowed a potion.

"**But what's it matter if his mother was a giantess?" said Harry. **

"**Well … no one who knows him will care, 'cos they'll know he's not dangerous," said Ron slowly. "But … Harry, they're just vicious, giants. It's like Hagrid said, it's in their natures, they're like trolls … they just like killing, everyone knows that. There aren't any left in Britain now, though." **

"Are all giants really like that?" Juliet asked, "they like killing …"

"I've never come across a giant, but as far as I can tell they are," Remus said. "I would say that there are probably more vicious giants and less vicious …"

"That's not true," Teddy interrupted him, thinking of Hagrid's half brother that he had meet more than once. "They're not all violent. Some of them can learn … and … well they're not all violent."

"Have you met a giant?" Remus asked sounding alarm.

"I have," Teddy said with a glare at him, "and you of all people should know better than to judge someone by what they are."

"I'm not judging anyone," Remus argued. "I've just never heard of one being nice …"

"And you think that anyone has heard of a werewolf being nice," Teddy asked back hotly, "that is before they met you."

"No, I suppose they haven't," Remus grimaced.

"**What happened to them?" **

"**Well, they were dying out anyway, and then loads got themselves killed by Aurors. **

"The Aurors just killed them …" Hermione said.

"No, not just killed them, the giants were attacking us, they had joined Voldemort in the war," Tonks said, she had studied that piece of history in her recent classes, not having really known that while she was younger.

**There're supposed to be giants abroad, though … They hide out in mountains mostly …" **

"**I don't know who Maxime thinks she's kidding," Harry said, watching Madame Maxime sitting alone at the judges' table, looking very somber. "If Hagrid's half giant, she definitely is. Big bones … the only thing that's got bigger bones than her is a dinosaur." **

Fred and George laughed.

**Harry and Ron spent the rest of the ball discussing giants in their corner, neither of them having any inclination to dance. Harry tried not to watch Cho and Cedric too much; it gave him a strong desire to kick something. **

"I'm sure Ronnie is trying just as hard not to notice another couple dancing," George 'whispered' to Fred.

**When the Weird Sisters finished playing at midnight, everyone gave them a last, loud round of applause and started to wend their way into the entrance hall. Many people were expressing the wish that the ball could have gone on longer, but Harry was perfectly happy to be going to bed; as far as he was concerned, the evening hadn't been much fun. **

Sirius sighed, he was really going to have to talk to Harry and get him lighten up and have fun at parties like this.

**Out in the entrance hall, Harry and Ron saw Hermione saying good night to Krum before he went back to the Durmstrang ship. **

"You better just be saying goodnight to him," Duncan said through gritted teeth but judging by the look Hermione was giving him (not to mention the others in the room) he said that a little louder than he had been meaning too.

You're damn right about that, Ron thought in total agreement with what Hermione's dad had just said.

**She gave Ron a very cold look and swept past him up the marble staircase without speaking. Harry and Ron followed her, but halfway up the staircase Harry heard someone calling him. **

"**Hey-Harry!" **

**It was Cedric Diggory. Harry could see Cho waiting for him in the entrance hall below. **

"That's probably the last person you want to talk to about now," Sirius said, not very sympathetically.

"**Yeah?" said Harry coldly as Cedric ran up the stairs toward him. **

**Cedric looked as though he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of Ron, who shrugged, looking bad-tempered, and continued to climb the stairs. **

"**Listen …" Cedric lowered his voice as Ron disappeared. "I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?" **

"**Yeah," said Harry. **

"**Well … take a bath, okay?" **

"Er … huh?" Harry said looking confused and was actually pleased to see when he looked up that no one else knew what Cedric was talking about.

"**What?" **

"**Take a bath, and – er – take the egg with you, and – er – just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think … Trust me." **

"Right … so does anyone know what the hell he's talking about?" Harry asked the room.

"Obviously he wants you to hard boil your egg," Fred said in his mock serious tone. "Eggs are always more chatty when they're hard boil."

**Harry stared at him. **

"**Tell you what," Cedric said, "use the prefects' bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's 'pine fresh.' Gotta go … want to say good night –"**

"And that's definitely not what you want to hear," George was the one that stated, unsympathetically, this time.

**He grinned at Harry again and hurried back down the stairs to Cho. **

**Harry walked back to Gryffindor Tower alone. That had been extremely strange advice. Why would a bath help him to work out what the wailing egg meant? Was Cedric pulling his leg? Was he trying to make Harry look like a fool, so Cho would like him even more by comparison? **

"I doubt it Harry," Remus said, "I don't think Cedric knows you have feeling for Cho …"

**The Fat Lady and her friend Vi were snoozing in the picture over the portrait hole. Harry had to yell "Fairy lights!" before he woke them up, and when he did, they were extremely irritated. He climbed into the common room and found Ron and Hermione having a blazing row. Standing ten feet apart, they were bellowing at each other, each scarlet in the face. **

This caused the twins to grin, and Ron and Hermione to groaned, they didn't really want to hear anymore about this fight … wasn't it bad enough already.

"**Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione; her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger. **

"**Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?" **

"**Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" **

Ron eyes widen, did she really just say that? Does she really want him to ask her out? Is that even possible?

Hermione froze where she sat, she couldn't believe that she had just said that … how could she think that he would have any interest in asking her … Unless his reaction before was jealousy … but hadn't Ron pretty much just said that she wasn't worth asking out? Obviously she hadn't thought that in the book, or she never would have said that last bit … not bluntly like that.

Duncan groaned, he had been hoping that Ron had stuff things up so much that Hermione wouldn't even think about Ron as anything more than a friend … but after everything that happened that night and she was telling the boy something like this did not settle so well with him. At least that probably means she's not really interested in that

**Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed. Ron turned to look at Harry. **

"**Well," he sputtered, looking thunderstruck, "well – that just proves – completely missed the point – "**

_He really doesn't see me that way, and now he's going to know how I feel _… Hermione bowed her head as she listened to his response.

**Harry didn't say anything. He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now – but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had. **

_And what's that supposed to mean?_ Ron thought but he didn't ask out loud, not when he could feel everyone's eye on either him or Hermione. Did Harry think that maybe she liked him … or did he know about Ron's own feelings …

Teddy looked between the Ron and Hermione with a frown. Every time that he had heard the story of the Yule Ball told before, it had always caused everyone around to laugh, but it seemed to be a very different experience when you heard it with the two people involved and they didn't know that everything was going to eventually be resolved. He almost felt like he should tell them their future, but he held his tongue.

"That's the end of the chapter," Molly said putting the book down looking thoughtfully at her youngest son. She hadn't realized how stronger her son felt about Hermione, though listening to this last part it was hard not to for her to see. She wondered how long he had felt this way and if there was anyway she could help him …

"So I think now seems like a good time for lunch," Arthur said to the silent room. No one really seemed to know what to say, as Ron and Hermione both avoided looking at anyone, very red in the face. He figured giving them some time to recover after this very relieving chapter (for their part) would be a good idea.


	25. Lunchtime Conversations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty Five

Lunchtime Conversations

After Arthur had mentioned that they were having lunch, Hermione got out of her seat and walked towards the doors that had lead to the bedrooms the night before. She didn't even bother to look at Ron, not wanting to see his pitying expression about her stupid attempt to get him to notice her. For a mere moment there, she had been almost happy about being able to go to the ball. That she had been asked by someone and that he had gone to the library repeatedly just to talk to her … it had all seemed rather romantic to her. The fact that it was Viktor Krum, only seem to play more to that side that actually like the idea of going to the ball with him. Then Ron had to go and say that thing about it all being a made up story which made it all the more clear that he didn't have any feeling for her. Not to mention what he said seemed to taint her thoughts and joy about going with someone else. It didn't seem important now.

"Hermione?" she heard a familiar voice said at the doorway, it was only then that she realized that she was sitting on a bed in a room that looked much like the one she had at her home. She turned to see her mum looking at her sadly, "can I come in."

"Sure," Hermione said in an unenthusiastic voice, she didn't really want to talk with anyone else right now. Still she could remember at time not so long ago when her mum had made her feel better after being teased at school.

"You know I was thinking earlier how much I would have loved to have been there for you while you were getting ready for the ball," Juliet said as she sat down next to her daughter on the bed. "But now I think it would have been much better if I was there for you after. At least I'm here to talk to you now."

Hermione didn't respond to that, having really no desire to talk about anything that just happened.

"I wish I could have seen you when you were in that dress … er dress robe …" Juliet said. "I hope you see that you're just as lovely as I always said you were … even if I don't agree about the changes you made to your teeth."

Hermione couldn't help but smiling a little at the jab about her teeth, she knew that was still something that her mum was going to want to talk about but now wasn't the time. "Do you really think so, Mum?"

"Yes I do, and if you don't want to believe me, just remember that you had three boys asking you to the dance," Juliet smiled at her.

"Three?" Hermione said slowly, obviously Viktor had asked her, and so had Neville … was her mum really counting Ron as one of those guys.

"Yes, three," her mum said as if she had read exactly what Hermione had been thinking. "It seems that Ron is very unsure of himself, and when it comes to you he seems particularly nervous …"

"Mum …" Hermione said shaking her head in disbelief, thinking her mum was just trying to be nice.

"Hermione it's not hard to see that that boy is completely smitten with you," Juliet said.

"No … that …" Hermione tried to protest again, what her mum was saying was completely different than what she had thought, there was no way that she was so wrong about Ron's reaction to the whole Yule Ball issue … was there?

"Well it's easy to see for those that actually look at him, which unfortunately seemed to be something you were avoiding," Juliet sighed, "and it's not just because you've grown into such a beautiful young woman," she added brushing a curl out of Hermione's eyes, "but he likes you, just the way you are and for who you are."

Hermione bit her lip, her mum's words seeming to warm her insides, that had seemed to frozen over since the fight with Ron started. "You're not just saying that …?"

"I don't believe so," Juliet said kindly, "especially not after the way he reacted when he saw you at the ball and with Viktor Krum no less."

"But he said I was … he thought Viktor was just using me …" Hermione mumbled, knowing her mum could be wrong about all of this because she doesn't understand that Ron is very protective of all his friends …

"He couldn't very well come out and say that he's angry because you're going to the dance with another boy," Juliet said, "did you see how upset he was before he even learn that it was Viktor, of course after hearing that it seemed that poor boy lost even more of his confidence …"

"What?" Hermione asked startled, she didn't remember Ron looking less confident … as far as she could tell Ron had been really angry after hearing that she was going with Viktor.

"I could only imagine what your father would have done if David Beckham had asked me out," Juliet sighed, it wasn't the best explain as the boy was only about nineteen right now, but it worked.

"I don't think Dad like the fact that I went to the ball with Viktor either," Hermione said changing the subject as her mum had just given her a lot to think about, and a lot to hope for. Maybe it hadn't been such a bad thing that she had shouted at Ron that he should ask her out next time instead of as a last resort … maybe.

"No, he didn't like that at all," Juliet agreed with a laugh, "he doesn't like that Viktor's so much older than you and is famous. Then again I don't think he's too happy with the way things are going between you and Ron either."

So much for the change of subject, Hermione sighed in her thoughts and then asked, "You think Dad doesn't like Ron?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far, as I think there are things he sees in Ron that he appreciates," Juliet said, "Your father just has trouble seeing that you're not his little girl anymore and that boys are going to, and have already, started to like you. Worse of all he knows what teenage boys think like, I'm afraid the poor man's mind is going wild now thinking about how Viktor is going to try to take advantage of you, or at the very least make you believe you have to …"

"I get it mum," Hermione said, but she really couldn't see that happening. Even if her relationship had that kind of potential before, after Ron's reaction she didn't think anything would happened. "You know what I thought about first when I heard about Viktor … well second …"

"You were pleased hearing you were going with him," Juliet stated.

"It sounded so … it was like a fairytale," Hermione admitted shyly.

Juliet just smiled, she remembered reading and watching fairytale with Hermione when she was younger, she had always loved them.

"After that," Hermione said, realized her mum understood the point she was making, "well I was interested in hearing about Durmstrang and where he was from … but I'm not sure if I wanted to know more about him."

"Well it is hard to say," Juliet said, "you're in the odd predicament of reading about going to a dance with someone before you met them."

"Hm," Hermione said thoughtfully, that was an interesting point, but it didn't really make her feel differently towards Viktor as really that wasn't the reason why she was feeling so upset right now.

"And then there is Ron," Juliet said after giving her daughter a few moments to think. "This is a completely different and more real situation I believe."

Hermione blushed slightly.

"Now I personal like Ron, it's nice to finally get to know your friends and see them for myself," Juliet said. "I do think that the more we read about this, the more uncomfortable your father is about him. And the worse part I think he doesn't want to see that you are interested in him as well, which is becoming more and more difficult for him to do."

"Well that doesn't make sense," Hermione frowned, "he must have realized that I would start noticing boys around this age …"

"Oh, and here I thought you started noticing boys sometime near the end of your second year," Juliet teased lightly and Hermione blushed, "of perhaps I should just say boy …"

"You …" Hermione started at a loss for words, she had thought her mum had just figured out about her feeling for Ron because this chapter seemed to make it all too obvious for everyone, though she was hoping it was just obvious enough for her mum to notice because she was her mum.

"I had a feeling form the start to be honest," Juliet attempted softly, "you have a very different tone when you describe your two friends, and as the time passed I thought I knew why."

"You never said anything," Hermione whispered.

"I didn't want to force you into a conversation," Juliet said, "though I was hoping you would want to come to me …"

Hermione bowed her head, she had thought about telling her mum about her feelings for Ron, but it had all seemed too embarrassing to admit. And she didn't see how that conversation was going to help her, now she wish that she had confided in her mum, maybe if she had it would have made the last chapter easier to read … maybe not.

"It's okay Hermione, I remember what it was like to be young and have my first crush," Juliet said.

Hermione frowned at the word crush; it did not seem like the right word to be used for her feeling for Ron. And as she realized that she only frowned more, she had been trying to rationalize her feelings as a crush for months now, but she couldn't anymore.

"And my first love," Juliet went on as she watched her daughter, this time she was blushing, so she thought she was closer to the mark with that. There was a pause in the conversation as Juliet thought that and Hermione seemed to be thinking about something else.

"You don't think he sees of me as a sister?" Hermione asked in barely a whisper, not meeting her mother eyes. This being one of the fears she had, and it only seemed to get stronger after the last two chapters when Ron just seemed to realize she was a girl and seemed to be telling her that he wouldn't ever think of going out with her.

"No, there's no way he sees you like that," Juliet said confidently, "not with the way he looks at you when he knows you're not looking."

"How does he look at me?" Hermione asked.

"In that way that makes your father go crazy, knowing very well what boys that age think about," Juliet said with a mischievous smile and Hermione started to blush again, though she couldn't help but smile a little. "Which is the same way that you look at him, I might add. Fortunately for your father, he's not aware that you're thoughts about boys are just …"

"Mum," Hermione said in a warning voice, she could feel the heat raise in her face as her mind couldn't help going to how she thought about Ron sometimes … she did not want to talk about this with her mother!

"Oh, I remember my first thoughts about Duncan when we had first meet," Juliet sighed, paying no attention to her daughter's warning.

"Mum!" Hermione protested louder, getting off the bed and moving towards the door. "I'm sure lunch is ready."

"Oh yes, I'm sure it is," Juliet agreed with a smile as Hermione fled the room, maybe she had gone too far at the end there, but she hoped that Hermione had realized that she could come to her with any problem she had and she was willing to talk openly to her daughter on any subject.

O

Ron didn't pay attention as everyone started leaving the room, not really caring that it was lunch time. He didn't really feel like eating at the moment as he thought about everything that had just happen. So Viktor Krum was the type of boy that she was interested in. Someone famous and good at Quidditch and in every way the opposite as Ron was himself. He shouldn't be surprised that's the way she thinks. She was the most talent witch of their years she deserved someone …

"Ow!" Ron exclaimed after he was hit in the head, he looked up to find that he was glaring at Bill. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"That fact that you don't know, is the reason why you deserved it," Bill informed him.

Ron kept glaring but he figured that Bill probably did have a reason to hit him.

Bill sighed, seeing the look in his brothers eyes and changed tactics. "There are a lot of things you need to learn when it comes to talking to girls."

"Yeah," Ron agreed gloomily, that didn't really seem to matter now, not after he had just pissed Hermione off … the way she walked off, showed that she didn't wan to talk to him at all.

"And how to understand what girls mean by their actions," Bill went on and Ron actually looked up at that, if he could understand that it would be very helpful.

"Do you really think you could help me with that?" Ron asked.

"Well … maybe," Bill said, "it's not an exact science, and some girls are more difficult than others to understand …"

"Hm," Ron sighed, thinking Hermione had got to be one of the most difficult girl to figure out.

"Though of course, understanding how girls think isn't you're biggest problem," Bill went on.

"I know," Ron bowed his head, there was also the fact that he was a nobody, just another Weasley.

"What Hermione said about how you felt about your brothers … and Harry being so famous," Bill went on trying to get to the heart of what was troubling his youngest brother. "They're both symptoms of your problem, which is your confidence in yourself … your sense of self worth."

Ron kept his head bowed, not wanting to look at his brother. He didn't really need Bill telling him that his confidence was low, and even more more he didn't need Bill trying to make things up to try to make him feel better. "I'm working on it."

"Hm," Bill said, frowning, this wasn't going exactly how he thought, "It seems like I'm not very good at this."

Ron looked at him, Bill was good at everything, he wondered if his brother was just saying that but Bill actually looked uncomfortable and like he was trying to think of something to say.

"I'm not sure what I can say that won't sound placating to your ears," Bill sighed. "Though from what I've heard so far, both form today and from the letters you sent me, you've done far more at Hogwarts than I ever did."

"Definitely placating," Ron grumbled causing Bill to laugh.

"I'm serious," Bill said controlling himself again, "I remember what Dad told me last year about how you tried to help Ginny by going into the Chamber …"

"That was Harry," Ron said.

"So you didn't go in there too?" Bill question, already knowing the answer to that, he stalled Ron's next statement by adding, "Dad was really proud of you know and I must say I was rather impressed. It's hard to imagine that I would do something like that when I was barely thirteen."

"I had to help," Ron shrugged, "I didn't really have a choice, did I?"

Bill would have pointed out that of course he had a choice but didn't think it would help at the moment. "Do you remember what Hermione had said to you about being a good friend right?"

Ron's ears turned red, of course he remembered that, it had meant a lot to him to hear she thought she was such a good friend. _Of course she doesn't think I would be good as being more than a friend,_ he added bitterly in his head,_ but at least she liked being my friend … _

"Don't try to compare yourself to me or any of our other brothers," Bill said.

"Is that your way of saying that I can't compare to you … or them," Ron complained, knowing it wasn't what Bill was trying to say but it was sort of the way he always felt. His brother were all successful in what they chose to did and made their way easily.

"Ron you don't want to be like me, you don't want to be a Curse Breaker and work at a bank," Bill said. "And you don't want to be like Charlie, a dragon trainer … or work at the Ministry as an assistant trying to make you way up the political chain like Percy. That's not who you are."

"Then who am I?" Ron asked.

Bill frowned. "That's not an easy question to ask, and it's one you should think about on your own. What do you want to be?"

Ron blushed and looked away and Bill had a feeling that Ron might already have and idea about what he wanted to be, but he didn't want to push his brother right now.

"You don't have to live up to anyone's examples or exceptions," Bill went on to say. "Just be you're own man."

Ron frowned now, the words seem to ring in his head, just be his own man … still that was a lot easier said than done. He doubted this did anything to feelings about his brothers.

"Just keep an open mind, Ron," Bill said. "You've done a lot more incredible things than you probably realized."

Ron thought about it, but there wasn't anything he did that Harry didn't start or had to try and stop, it didn't really have anything to do with him.

"Now, lets get back to your girl troubles," Bill said, seeing that Ron hadn't really let his words sink in, he was probably going to have to keep trying to help Ron to see himself in a better light as they read. "I might not be good with pep talks, but I do know a thing or to about girls."

Ron nodded his head, he knew his oldest brother had plenty of girlfriends both inside and out of Hogwarts, anything Bill had to say about this would probably help him.

"I've noticed how pretty much since the moment we got to this house how much you watch Hermione," Bill said, ignoring Ron's red ears and obvious embarrassment, "though you have consciously made many … er … missteps, I must admit that subconsciously you have you made a good choice. I think Hermione will be really good for you …"

"She doesn't like me," Ron snapped, it was one thing for Bill to known that he liked Hermione, that was annoying and embarrassing enough, but to listen to him go on like this when there's no way that she …

"Ron you need to pay closer attention," Bill said. "I don't think it's any easier for her to tell you her feelings than it is for you and from what I can tell, she rather convince that you don't see her that way."

Ron snorted, that didn't make any sense. Why would she have any problems telling him her feelings, she was incredible and he as just Ron?

"Which I can't really blame her about after you pretty much told her that you were looking for the best looking girl that will have you," Bill said, "then you made it seem like you hadn't notice she was a girl. I'd say if Hermione had issues in her own confidence it would be in her appearance, which your words seemed to cut deeply into," he went on to say, stopping as he saw Ron flinched.

"Do you really think I hurt her," he asked softly.

"Yes," Bill admitted, "but if you don't run away and try to hid your feelings you won't do it again."

Ron looked up, the conflict clear in his eyes. Clearly if he really had hurt Hermione he wouldn't want to do it again, but to be open with his feelings for her … that didn't seem like something he could do.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but luckily you don't have to do anything right away, you can listen to what's going to happen in the future and I'm sure you'll see what I'm telling you is true," Bill said. "And just let me finish with, girls hardly ever state their feelings, but Hermione just about made all to clear that she wanted you to ask her to the ball with her last statement at the end of the chapter."

Ron eyes widened as Bill got up clapping him on the back and going to the kitchen to join the others. That was her trying to get him to ask her out! It wasn't just his wishful thinking. Bill was so confident about it … and he knew girls … it was true …

O

"I'm just saying, who do you think Teddy is?" Tonks asked looking at the boy closely, he was talking with Harry, Neville and Ginny at the other end of the table. She had been talking to Remus for the last half hour as Molly made lunch (not excepting help from anyone) and Arthur talked to Duncan, Sirius and Percy. Then there was Draco sitting at the middle of the table, looking thoughtful, but definitely separate than anyone else in the group.

"You mean what his parentage is," Remus said, "because I know you believe he's a boy from the future as he had said he was."

"Of course I do," Tonks answered. "I believed him the moment he started talking about the reason he came back here. His eyes … well I couldn't deny his sincerity in what he was saying and why he came back here. But I would like to know who his parents are, and who his godfather that he mentioned at the beginning is."

"As for his parents, I couldn't guess," Remus said, "I would guess that he purposely disguised himself the way he is, with turquoise hair and eyes, to keep anyone from guessing who he is."

"Hm, maybe," Tonks said looking at the boy again, though he was probably only three years younger than herself. She thought that he looked rather comfortable in his own skin, which seemed to her meant that he hadn't changed his appearance for anyone, but she couldn't be sure either way.

"As for his godfather though, I actually have a theory about who that is," Remus said and Tonks gave him her full attention again.

"You do … who do you think it is?" she asked.

"Haven't you notice how he calls Hermione and all of the Weasley my aunt and uncle, but he just calls Harry, Harry." Remus said, there was a bit of hopeful tone in his voice.

"So you think Harry's his godfather," Tonks said, looking at the three boys, they were all laughing about something and it seemed like they were getting along.

"Well, I am sort of hoping so," Remus admitted. "I'd like to think that after everything Harry's already been through that he'll be able to survive the war that's coming soon."

"I think that Teddy's implied enough that Harry's alive in his future," Tonks pointed out, "just take the books being here with him, they're from Harry's point of view and Hermione supposively took them from him."

"I was thinking about that as well," Remus smiled, "it's nice to hear you point out things like that as I know it's not just my own wishful thinking."

Tonks felt her checks warm as he smiled at her, he was very cute when he smiled, and it seemed to make him appear years younger. "You do have a good point about Harry being his godfather, he does seem to be close to Harry."

"There's also the fact that he seems to know a few things about the Marauders, which I'm sure Harry would likely have told anyone he raised about," Remus went on.

Tonks just nodded her head, she really didn't have anything she could add to that. "I'm still a little curious as to why I'm here." she said changing the subject somewhat.

"Why?" Remus asked her, it seemed obvious to him.

"Well, everyone else here seems to be close to Harry, or connected to him in some way," Tonks said, "even Draco is has more connection to him than me."

"You forget that there's still more books that will be set in the future," Remus said. "Just because there is no connection that you know of, doesn't mean you won't be part of the coming fight. If I had to guess, I'd say that whenever it happened, Moody is the one that's going to recruit you to help us, as he is your mentor and Dumbledore will trust his judgment on your character."

"Hm, what do you mean by recruit?" Tonks questioned.

"Well I can't be sure, but I'd imagine Dumbledore will want to start the Order of the Phoenix again, it's the group he organize during the first war at least," Remus explained. "If I'm right I'm sure you'll hear more about the Order soon enough," he added when he saw that she looked like she had question about it. Remus expression turned grim as he looked at the other end of the table at Harry, "I'd imagine part of what we would have to do is to keep Harry safe because it seems like as long as Voldemort is out there his life is always going to be in danger."

"Remus, you just said it, he's going to be okay," Tonks said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him. He turned and gave her another smile, though this time it was sad. "And you're right, I will join the fight and help make sure that's true."

"So what were you thinking before," Remus asked, and then clarified when she looked at him confused, "as to why Teddy had brought you here?"

"Oh," Tonks said, "I don't know, it's just a feeling I have … and like you said, he doesn't really look like anyone I know, but at the same time he seems so familiar …"

"Er …" Remus said looking confused. "I think you've lost me."

"I think I lost myself too," Tonks admitted with a sheepish smile.

"You don't look lost," Remus informed her.

"Well I've always been good at hiding that," Tonks said, "just act cheerful and confident and no one can tell."

Remus laughed. "I'm personally glad that Teddy thought to bring you here, you definitely help lighten some of the harder part of reading the books with your cheerfulness and confidence."

"Well I glad I can help," Tonks said, smiling back at him, again she felt her face warm at his words.

"Lunch is ready!" Molly announced at that moment, a floating plate of food going to the middle of the table. Tonks looked away from Remus and turned to the plate that was already half empty, all the Weasleys already having taken their share. Having been at the Weasleys house for a meal before, this didn't surprise her in the less, she just waited for an opening and got her food, Remus standing behind her seeming to be waiting patiently as well.

"Hey," Bill said after they had all gotten food and he took a seat near her and Remus, Sirius was also sitting with them now.

"Had a nice chat with Ron?" Tonks asked Bill.

"I tried to … not sure if I did any good though," Bill chuckled and sighed.

"He looks a bit happier," Tonks said, looking at the end of the table where both Ron and Hermione were sitting at now. They both look nervous but not quick as gloomy as they had been a hour ago.

"Well then hopefully I did do some good," Bill said, "only time will tell. We better hurry up and finish eating though, I imagine everyone wants to get back to reading soon."

Tonks didn't answer him she just started eating knowing he was right.


	26. Rita Skeeter's Scoop

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty Six

Rita Skeeter's Scoop

It wasn't long after Bill had made his comment about eating quickly that his point was proven and everyone started getting up and going to the other room to read. As Bill took his seat he picked up the book and looked at Ron, unlike this morning where he was sitting next to Hermione (and Harry on his other side) Harry was in the middle of the two of them (looking slightly uncomfortable at his position). He also noticed that Ron and Hermione kept looking at the other and turning before the other noticed.

"**Rita Skeeter's Scoop," **Bill read as shook his head, he really hoped those two would get over their fears soon but he had a feeling it would take a while.

Harry groaned, he didn't want to hear about Skeeter having a scoop, her last article had sound like an egotistical jerk that also was some what of a cry baby. He would hope that this article had nothing to do with him, but seeing as it was in the book that wasn't likely.

**Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed to Harry that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, "but it's way too much bother to do every day," she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears. **

Hermione sighed, she had liked the sound of her non bushy hair, but she knew that she wouldn't want to spend so much time to get it to look that way. Still, it was nice to know that that hair potion would work if there was an occasion to do so. She looked at Ron, to see him turning his head. She wondered if he had been looking at her … and she wonder if he had liked her straight hair.

**Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal. **

"That seems about right," Harry muttered from his position between his two friends, who he didn't have to look at to know were now blushing. They were acting that way right now.

**Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, but Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half-giant nearly as shocking as Ron did. **

"You didn't?" Ron asked looking at her only to look away quickly.

Hermione just nodded, not that Ron noticed as he had already looked away and waited for Bill to continued, sure her reasoning would be in the book.

"**Well, I thought he must be," she said, shrugging. "I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't all be horrible … It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves … It's just bigotry, isn't it?" **

"Yeah Remus, it's just bigotry!" Fred said and the werewolf blushed, remembering his words in the last chapter.

**Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly, but perhaps he didn't want another row, because he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn't looking. **

This caused the twins to snigger as the two teens avoided looking at the other.

**It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over – everybody except Harry, that is, who was starting (once again) to feel slightly nervous. **

"Of course you'd start being nervous about that now," Ron shook his head.

"Well I did get over my nerves for the ball, it only makes sense," Harry shrugged.

**The trouble was that February the twenty-fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas, and he still hadn't done anything about working out the clue inside the golden egg. **

"You know if you just listened to me …" Hermione started.

Harry sighed, of course she was right but he was sure he was still going to procrastinate in the future.

**He therefore started taking the egg out of his trunk every time he went up to the dormitory, opening it, and listening intently, hoping that this time it would make some sense. He strained to think what the sound reminded him of, apart from thirty musical saws, but he had never heard anything else like it. He closed the egg, shook it vigorously, and opened it again to see if the sound had changed, but it hadn't. He tried asking the egg questions, shouting over all the wailing, but nothing happened. He even threw the egg across the room – though he hadn't really expected that to help. **

"It would have been funny if that did work," Fred said, "I'm sure all the champions would have gotten the clue at some point if all you had to do was throw it across the room."

**Harry had not forgotten the hint that Cedric had given him, **

"I was just about to ask about that," Tonks said cheerfully, but didn't make a farther comment, it was clear the book was about to explain probably better than this Harry could.

**but his less-than friendly feelings toward Cedric just now meant that he was keen not to take his help if he could avoid it. **

"You are such an idiot," Hermione shook her head at her friend and he turn to pout at her, causing her to smile.

**In any case, it seemed to him that if Cedric had really wanted to give Harry a hand, he would have been a lot more explicit. He, Harry, had told Cedric exactly what was coming in the first task – and Cedric's idea of a fair exchange had been to tell Harry to take a bath. **

"Well maybe if you followed his advise you would see how good his suggestion really is, and you much might find it completely fair," Tonks pointed out.

**Well, he didn't need that sort of rubbishy help – not from someone who kept walking down corridors hand in hand with Cho, anyway. **

"Boys," Tonks rolled her eyes.

Harry frowned, he had a feeling Tonks and Hermione wer right, and he was acting like an idiot, but he was rather annoyed himself hearing about Cedric and Cho.

**And so the first day of the new term arrived, and Harry set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual, but also with the lurking worry of the egg heavy in his stomach, as though he were carrying that around with him too. **

"What a lovely imagine," George said sarcastically.

**Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire. **

"And that would be a good thing?" Ginny questioned him.

"At least we wouldn't be cold," Ron shrugged.

**When they arrived at Hagrid 's cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door. **

"Wait … who's that? Why is she there?" Harry questioned.

"We have no idea?" Fred and George said in unison.

"**Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow. **

"**Who're you?" said Ron, staring at her. "Wheres Hagrid?" **

"But lucky enough for you, Ron doesn't care about being impolite," Fred added.

"Hmph," Molly huffed, he really needed some work on that.

"**My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher." **

"**Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated loudly. **

"**He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly. **

"Why wouldn't Hagrid be there?" Harry asked. "You don't think he's still upset about what happened at the ball with Madame Maxime do you?"

"Hm … well Hagrid does take things hard …" Hermione said sadly, "you remember how bad he was last year when Buckbeak was on trial …"

"This is didn't though," Ron said, "that was about his pet, you know how he gets with his pets. I doubt Hagrid likes being turn down like that … especially after what he shared … but he more adamant about his pets …"

**Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Harrys ears. He turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank. **

"Why is it that you always seemed to know about crap like this?" Harry asked Draco.

"I have my sources," Draco said, looking mildly annoyed.

"**This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill? **

"I hope he's okay," Ginny said.

"Something tells me he's not sick," Sirius said glaring at Draco, who was ignoring him. Not after that laughter and like of surprise in having a sub.

"**What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry said, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank. **

"**Never you mind," she said as though she thought he was being nosy. **

"You are being nosy," Fred pointed out.

"Hagrid's my friend," Harry said.

"**I do mind, though," said Harry hotly. "What's up with him?" **

"Oh know, Harry's temper is woken, be careful Grubbly-Plank," George said and Harry glared at him.

**Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him. She led them past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered. **

"Unicorns!" Ginny said, that seemed like an interesting lesson.

**Many of the girls "ooooohed!" at the sight of the unicorn. **

Ginny started turning read as the twins sniggered at how much that sounded like how she just reacted.

**"Oh it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender Brown. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!" **

**The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head. **

"**Boys keep back!" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it …"**

"Well what kind of lesson is that if guys can't even get near the stupid creature," Ron grumbled, he didn't much like this Grubbly-Plank woman.

"A lesson that we don't have to spend running away from monsters," Draco pointed out, that sounded like a lot better one to him.

"Why did you bother taking Care of Magical Creatures," Harry asked him. "I can't see you actually wanting to take care of anything."

"I have no reason to explain myself to you," Draco said coldly.

"I bet he took it because he heard it was an easy subject," Ginny guessed.

Draco glared at her and didn't answer, though his cheeks were slightly pink.

**She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching. The moment Professor Grubbly-Plank was out of earshot. Harry turned to Ron. **

"**What d'you reckons wrong with him? You don't think a skrewt -?" **

"**Oh he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking," said Malfoy softly. "No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face." **

Now Draco was turning even pinker as several people glared at him again.

"**What d'you mean?" said Harry sharply. **

**Malfoy put his hand inside the pocket of his robes and pulled out a folded page of newsprint. **

"**There you go," he said. "Hate to break it to you. Potter …" **

**He smirked as Harry snatched the page, unfolded it, and read it, with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville looking over his shoulder. It was an article topped with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty. **

**_DUMBLEDORE_'_S GIANT MISTAKE _**

"Bloody hell … the scoop is on Hagrid," Harry groaned, he had thought it would have been bad if it was about him, but this was so much worse.

_**Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor **_**"**_**Mad-Eye**_**" **_**Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody**_**'**_**s well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. **_

Tonks snorted at that. "What a horrible choice, having an ex-Auror as a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"I think it's his jinx-happy part that makes him questionable," Fred said, "though of course, I think that's what makes him the best."

Tonks just shook her head at him, as if Moody would really have done that.

_**Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures.**_

_**Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year,**_

"Because he was framed by an evil bastard!" Ron shouted. "It's not his bloody fault!"

_**has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates.**_

"Was there anyone else that wanted the job?" Neville wondered.

"Maybe that Grubbly-Plank woman," Ginny suggested.

"Still Hagrid didn't use any mysterious influence," Harry said hotly.

"We know," Neville pointed out as Harry was looking at them.

"Dumbledore knows that Hagrid never should have been kicked out of Hogwarts," Remus said, his eyes sad as he could easily relate to the half giant. "He wanted to Hagrid a chance that he never would have gotten anywhere else."

_**An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being **_**"**_**very frightening.**_**" **

"Maimed, Hagrid hasn't maimed anyone," Harry growled.

"I think she means the creatures," Hermione pointed out her voice was quivering with her own anger. How could that horrible woman go after Hagrid like this.

**'**_**I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a**__**bad bite off a flobberworm,**_**" **_**says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student.**_

"Because you were too stupid to listen to Hagrid's advise!" Ron snapped at him and Draco kept his expression neutral (only because everyone in the room was glaring at him).

"And being bit by a flobberworm is just pathetic. I can't believe Crabbe is that stupid," George added.

**"**_**We all hate Hagrid, but we**_**'**_**re just too scared to say anything.**_**"**

"If only that was the case," Harry said, Draco was all too loud in his complaints in class. The smarmy git was purposely making things as bad as they can be, just like he had last year when he tried to get Hagrid sacked and Buckbeak killed.

_**Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed **_**"**_**Blast-Ended Skrewts,**_**" **_**highly dangerous crosses between manti-cores and fire-crabs. **_

"He did breed time," Remus sighed, that wasn't good at all.

_**The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions.**_

"She did say usually, so does that mean it's not always," Harry asked hopefully.

"I'm sure Hagrid is going to have some kind of trouble with the Ministry after this," Remus said, "but it should only be a fine."

"_**I was just having some fun,**_**" **_**he says, before hastily changing the subject. As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not – as he has always pretended – a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, **_

"How does she know that?" Hermione asked, she had figured from the title they would have known about the giant part, but how did Skeeter know who Hagrid's mother was. For that matter how did she so suddenly figured this out.

"She must have been at the ball," Ron said.

"Well of course she was," Hermione said, "she couldn't have just figured this out on her own when no one has said anything … but how did she know that was his mother …"

"There are a lot of records on the giants at the Ministry and it's available to anyone that wants it," Remus said. "It seems like more research then I'd expect her to make, but it is available and if you know certain facts you can piece it together.

_**whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by**_ _**warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror.**_

_**While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa**_**'**_**s son appears to have inherited her brutal nature.**_

Everyone in the room glared at the book at that. Anyone that knew Hagrid knew that he was violent or brutal, sure he had a creature obsession that was a bit dangerous, but Hagrid himself was nothing like that.

_**In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who**_**'**_**s fall from power – thereby driving Hagrid**_**'**_**s own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who**_**'**_**s supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend – but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.**_

"It's not bloody dangerous hanging out with Hagrid," Harry said. "And I wouldn't change my mind about that just because I learn that he's part giant."

"Yeah, it matters who the person is, not what they are," Sirius said with a smile, Harry looked so much like James when they had first learned about Remus furry little problem, adamantly defending his friend.

**Harry finished reading and looked up at Ron, whose mouth was hanging open. **

"**How did she find out?" he whispered. **

**But that wasn't what was bothering Harry. **

"**What d'you mean, 'we all hate Hagrid'?" Harry spat at Malfoy. "What's this rubbish about him" – he pointed at Crabbe – "getting a bad bite off a flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!" **

"Ha, Harry agrees with me," George said.

**Crabbe was sniggering, apparently very pleased with himself. **

"Well who wouldn't be pleased by being the only person to admit being hurt by the mighty flobberworms!" Fred said.

"**Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career," said Malfoy, his eyes glinting. "Half-giant … and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young … **

"Seriously, that's what you though?" Fred said looking at Draco pityingly. "Well that's just as stupid as you're idea that Hagrid will be sacked, isn't it."

Draco turned pink as he glared at Fred.

**None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all … They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha …" **

"**You-" **

"**Are you paying attention over there?" **

"Aw, I wasn't to hear what you were going to say after you …" George sighed. "I'm sure it would have been good."

**Professor Grubbly-Planks voice carried over to the boys; the girls were all clustered around the unicorn now, stroking it. Harry was so angry that the Daily Prophet article shook in his hands as he turned to stare unseeingly at the unicorn, whose many magical properties Professor Grubbly-Plank was now enumerating in a loud voice, so that the boys could hear too. **

"**I hope she stays, that woman!" said Parvati Patil when the lesson had ended and they were all ****heading back to the castle for lunch. "That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like … proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters …" **

"Well it wouldn't be very fun to study something like that," George said.

"You sound like Charlie," Tonks chuckled.

"**What about Hagrid?" Harry said angrily as they went up the steps. **

"**What about him?" said Parvati in a hard voice. "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?" **

**Parvati had been very cool toward Harry since the ball. **

"Hmph," Harry huffed, "that didn't mean she should be mean to Hagrid."

"I think that's probably what she honestly thinks," Hermione pointed and when Harry glared at her she added, "I didn't say that's how I think."

"Whatever," Harry grumbled.

**He supposed that he ought to have paid her a bit more attention, **

"You think?" Ginny said, now realizing how Harry would have reacted it might have been a good thing she hadn't gone with him. It didn't sound that much fun. Then again maybe if she was with him …

**but she seemed to have had a good time all the same. She was certainly telling anybody who would listen that she had made arrangements to meet the boy from Beauxbatons in Hogsmeade on the next weekend trip.**

"**That was a really good lesson," said Hermione as they entered the Great Hall. **

Harry glared at her and Hermione rolled her eyes back at him.

**"I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni –"**

"**Look at this!" Harry snarled, and he shoved the Daily Prophet article under Hermione's nose.**

**Hermione's mouth fell open as she read. Her reaction was exactly the same as Ron's.**

"**How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?"**

"Really Hermione, Hagrid telling Skeeter?" George shook his head, "that's never going to happen."

"**No," said Harry, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair, furious. "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back."**

"**Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," said Hermione quietly.**

"**We'd have seen her in the garden!" said Ron. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her …"**

"And he said that when she had been in the school after sneaking in," Fred pointed out.

"**Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, ladling chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger. "Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."**

"**Like you and Ron did, you mean," said Hermione.**

"She's got you there," Sirius said as everyone either smiled or laughed at that.

"**We weren't trying to hear him!" said Ron indignantly. "We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"**

"**We've got to go and see him," said Harry. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back … you do want him back?" he shot at Hermione.**

"**I – well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once – but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry's furious stare.**

"You know you shouldn't intimidate your friends like that," Sirius said and Remus gave him a look that suggested Sirius didn't follow his own advice.

**So that evening after dinner, the three of them left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. They knocked, and Fang's booming barks answered.**

"**Hagrid, it's us!" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. "Open up!"**

**Hagrid didn't answer. They could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes; Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response.**

"**What's he avoiding us for?" Hermione said when they had finally given up and were walking back to the school. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"**

"Unfortunately I'm sure he does care," Remus said, again understanding that feeling better than the others. "Sometimes it's hard not to get in your own head and think the worse."

"And those are the times that as a friend, you've got to make sure you hit him in the head and make him think sense again," Sirius said.

**But it seemed that Hagrid did care. They didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity.**

"As if you did anything," Ron hissed. "Why the hell do you think you deserve to gloat when you didn't do anything?"

"Because it pisses you off," Draco said simply.

"**Missing your half-breed pal?" he kept whispering to Harry whenever there was a teacher around, so that he was safe from Harry's retaliation. "Missing the elephantman?"**

**There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January. Hermione was very surprised that Harry was going to go.**

"**I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet," she said. "Really get to work on that egg."**

"**Oh I - I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now," Harry lied.**

Hermione looked at Harry hurt.

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly.

"**Have you really?" said Hermione, looking impressed. "Well done!"**

**Harrys insides gave a guilty squirm, but he ignored them. He still had five weeks to work out that egg clue, after all, and that was ages … **

"Oh you have ages, you don't have to work out the clue know or anything," Hermione grumbled under her breath but Harry could still hear her. He was sure she wouldn't have been this mad if he hadn't lied to her.

**whereas if he went into Hogsmeade, he might run into Hagrid, and get a chance to persuade him to come back.**

**He, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. **

"Oi Hermione, that should be a sight for you to see, ah?" George said waggling his eyebrows as Hermione, Ron and Duncan all glared at him. "I was just joking … it's a sad day when no one can take a joke."

**He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake.**

"What the bloody hell is he doing?" Sirius asked.

"Um … he's going for a mid-January swim," Fred said uncertainly.

"Why would any sane person go into the lake in January?" Sirius said.

"I remember you did … of course that doesn't count as a sane person …" Remus reminded him.

"That was on a dare, I didn't have choice," Sirius said. "Krum doesn't seem like the daring type though."

"Oh Krum is very daring, right Ronnie, aren't you always going on about how amazing a brave he is making those catches," George questioned him.

The only response Ron gave to that was a grunt.

"**He's mad!" said Harry, staring at Krums dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. "It must be freezing, it's January!" **

"**It's a lot colder where he comes from," said Hermione. "I suppose it feels quite warm to him." **

"Does were you live really make the water feel warmer to him?" Neville questioned.

"Well it depends on whether or not he goes in the water and has built up a tolerant for such things," Duncan said.

"**Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," said Ron. **

Duncan shuddered at that, he had forgot about the giant squid … then again it was Krum that was in the water …

**He didn't sound anxious – if anything, he sounded hopeful. Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned. **

Much as she was doing now and Ron shrugged as his siblings sniggered.

"**He's really nice, you know," she said. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me." **

"That's because he's trying to chat you up, Hermione," Fred pointed out. "Of course he's going to tell you he likes it hear better."

"I'd rather he be honest with me," Hermione said, "and you don't know that's what he really thinks."

"Neither do you," Ron said hotly, narrowing his eyes at Hermione … it sounded like she wanted to get to know Krum.

**Ron said nothing. He hadn't mentioned Viktor Krum since the ball, but Harry had found a miniature arm under his bed on Boxing Day, **

"Aw, the poor figurine, you ripped off it's arm," Fred said while laughing.

**which had looked very much as though it had been snapped off a small model figure wearing Bulgarian Quidditch robes. **

**Harry kept his eyes skinned for a sign of Hagrid all the way down the slushy High Street, and suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks once he had ascertained that Hagrid was not in any of the shops. **

**The pub was as crowded as ever, but one quick look around at all the tables told Harry that Hagrid wasn't there. Heart sinking, he went up to the bar with Ron and Hermione, ordered three butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta, and thought gloomily that he might just as well have stayed behind and listened to the egg wailing after all. **

"It doesn't sound like you've gotten much fun out of the permission slip I gave you to go to Hogsmeade," Sirius sighed.

"That's not your fault," Harry said, "I sure I appreciate that I don't have to sneak out anymore."

"Permission slip?" Molly asked.

"You know, the one that a parent or guardian has to sign," Sirius said. "Well I set a copy of that a few months ago so that Harry can go to Hogsmeade like everyone else."

"That was nice of you," Molly said and then added, "but what do you mean about sneak out?"

"Um …" Sirius said as Harry sat back his seat so he wouldn't be glared at too.

Bill easily recognized the sign of his mum about to go on a rant and started reading again.

"**Doesn't he ever go into the office?" Hermione whispered suddenly. "Look!" **

**She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing. **

"Hermione you do know it's a Saturday, hardly anyone goes to the office on a Saturday," Fred pointed out and Hermione blush slightly.

"That still doesn't explain why Bagman would go to Hogsmeade this week," she mumbled.

"That's true," Tonks agreed, "there really isn't any reason for him to be there."

"He likes being were the actions is," Arthur said. "Though I'm not sure if there's going to be any takes about the tournament, it would be more likely there, than anywhere else."

**It was indeed odd. Harry thought, that Bagman was here at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. He watched Bagman in the mirror. He was looking strained again, quite as strained as he had that night in the forest before the Dark Mark had appeared. **

Arthur frowned, he really didn't like the sound of that. Bagman was usually carefree and cheerful, so whatever was bothering him was a big problem. The fact that he was talking to goblins gave Arthur's some clues as to what that problem might be.

**But just then Bagman glanced over at the bar, saw Harry, and stood up. **

"**In a moment, in a moment!" Harry heard him say brusquely to the goblins, and Bagman hurried through the pub toward Harry, his boyish grin back in place. **

"**Harry!" he said. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?" **

"Do you think that means that he went to Hogsmeade because of Harry?" Tonks narrowed her eyes.

"I … I don't know," Remus responded frowning, it sort of sounded like it, but that didn't really make sense to him.

"**Fine, thanks," said Harry. **

"**Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" said Bagman eagerly. **"**You couldn't give us a moment, you two, could you?" **

"**Er – okay," said Ron, and he and Hermione went off to find a table. **

**Bagman led Harry along the bar to the end furthest from Madam Rosmerta. **

"**Well, I just thought I'd congratulate you again on your splendid performance against that Horntail, Harry," said Bagman. "Really superb." **

"Yeah, and he couldn't possibly say that in front of us," Ron grumbled, he hated being pushed off on the side. He grimaced at that thought, wasn't thinking like that the reason why he hadn't believed Harry early … he was really going to have to work on this issue.

"**Thanks," said Harry, but he knew this couldn't be all that Bagman wanted to say, because he could have congratulated Harry in front of Ron and Hermione. **

**Bagman didn't seem in any particular rush to spill the beans, though. Harry saw him glance into the mirror over the bar at the goblins, who were all watching him and Harry in silence through their dark, slanting eyes. **

"**Absolute nightmare," said Bagman to Harry in an undertone, noticing Harry watching the goblins too. "Their English isn't too good … it's like being back with all the Bulgarians at the Quidditch World Cup … but at least they used sign language another human could recognize. This lot keep gabbling in Gobbledegook … and I only know one word of Gobbledegook. Bladvak. It means 'pickax.' I don't like to use it in case they think I'm threatening them." **

Bill frowned as he read this and was looking a little annoyed by the end of it. He knew better than anyone that goblins can be hard to deal with. Still, he didn't really appreciate what Bagman was saying about them either.

**He gave a short, booming laugh. **

"**What do they want?" Harry said, noticing how the goblins were still watching Bagman very closely. **

"**Er – well …" said Bagman, looking suddenly nervous. "They … er … they're looking for Barty Crouch." **

"Why are they looking for Mr. Crouch?" Percy asked.

"If you let Bill read, I'm sure we'll get to know," George said.

"**Why are they looking for him here?" said Harry. "He's at the Ministry in London, isn't he?" **

"That's not answering my question," Percy grumbled.

"Obviously Harry doesn't care about Crouch like you do," George shrugged.

"**Er … as a matter of fact, I've no idea where he is," said Bagman. "He's sort of … stopped coming to work. Been absent for a couple of weeks now. Young Percy, his assistant, says he's ill. Apparently he's just been sending instructions in by owl. But would you mind not mentioning that to anyone Harry? Because Rita Skeeter's still poking around everywhere she can, and I'm willing to bet she'd work up Bartys illness into something sinister. Probably say he's gone missing like Bertha Jorkins." **

"You don't think … those two things aren't connected, are they?!" Molly fretted.

"There's no way they are connected!" Percy said fiercely.

"I can't think that they are … Crouch is at the Ministry, he never left it … well at least not until he was sick," Remus said. "Voldemort would have no way to get to him like Bertha Jorkins …"

"You know you look a little pale for someone that thinks there's no connection," Sirius pointed out to him.

"Any connection, even just implied, between the two is a bit scary, don't you think," Remus said. "If Voldemort can get to someone like Crouch in his weaken state, he can get to anyone."

"Please, Crouch is an old man that was never much of a fighter," Sirius snorted, he really didn't like Crouch much at all.

"Mr. Crouch is a great wizard and nothing has happened to him!" Percy exclaimed.

Bill figured it was about time to start reading.

"**Have you heard anything about Bertha Jorkins?" Harry asked. **

"**No," said Bagman, looking strained again. "I've got people looking, of course …" (About time, thought Harry) **

"As well as the rest of us," Fred said.

"Or at least we would be if we didn't already knew what happened to her," George added, though unlike normal, his tone was serious.

**"and it's all very strange. She definitely arrived in Albania, because she met her second cousin there. And then she left the cousin's house to go south and see an aunt … and she seems to have vanished without trace en route. Blowed if I can see where she's got to … she doesn't seem the type to elope, for instance … but still … What are we doing, talking about goblins and Bertha Jorkins? I really wanted to ask you" – he lowered his voice – "how are you getting on with your golden egg?"**

It was hard reading and listening to this part knowing what happened to the poor woman. However, as soon as it got to Bagman asking about the egg everyone's expression changed to from sympathy to confusion or suspicious.

"**Er … not bad," Harry said untruthfully. **

**Bagman seemed to know he wasn't being honest. **

"He might know what the clue is," Ginny guessed.

"**Listen, Harry," he said (still in a very low voice), "I feel very bad about all this … you were thrown into this tournament, you didn't volunteer for it … and if …" **

"Wait, Bagman thinks that you didn't volunteer!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Yeah, we heard that," Remus glared at him, he hated when Sirius shouted, especially when they were close. "It's nothing to be so excited about."

"I was just saying, Bagman seemed to think that Harry had put his name in before, but now he believes Harry," Sirius said. "That's an improvement."

"So now you're back to admiring him in please," Remus said and Sirius nodded his head.

**(his voice was so quiet now, Harry had to lean closer to listen) "if I can help at all … a prod in the right direction … I've taken a liking to you … the way you got past that dragon … well, just say the word." **

"What is he doing?" Arthur said, cocking his head to the side, he had known Ludo to be kind and helpful, but this seemed a bit much.

"He's offering Harry help," Sirius said, "it was odd, but if it was actually helpful, that was a good thing … right?"

"I guess," Arthur said.

Harry looked at them, it seemed they thought he would take Bagman's help, but he got a feeling he wouldn't do that.

**Harry stared up into Bagman's round, rosy face and his wide, baby-blue eyes. **

"**We're supposed to work out the clues alone, aren't we?" he said, careful to keep his voice casual and not sound as though he was accusing the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports of breaking the rules. **

"Siriusly, you're going to be a rule follower now," Sirius said.

"I doubt it," Harry chuckled. "But don't you think this is cheating?"

"Maybe," Sirius shrugged. "But like I said, as long as you're being helped it's okay with me."

"**Well … well, yes," said Bagman impatiently, "but – come on. Harry – we all want a Hogwarts victory, don't we?" **

"**Have you offered Cedric help?" Harry said. **

**The smallest of frowns creased Bagman's smooth face. "No, I haven't," he said. "I – well, like I say, I've taken a liking to you. Just thought I'd offer …" **

"I guess I get what me, that is a bit off," Sirius admitted.

"**Well, thanks," said Harry, "but I think I'm nearly there with the egg … couple more days should crack it." **

"I don't think now's the time for breakfast," Fred said.

"Huh?" Harry frowned.

"You want to crack the egg, Harry," Fred said, "which I can only think means you want to make breakfast with it."

"Okay," Harry said slowly.

**He wasn't entirely sure why he was refusing Bagman's help, except that Bagman was almost a stranger to him, and accepting his assistance would feel somehow much more like cheating than asking advice from Ron, Hermione, or Sirius. **

"Who the hell cares if you cheat or not," Draco said annoyed by all this, "the outcome is the only thing that matters. And it's not like you didn't cheat in the first task, getting that Mad eye jerk's help. He was a stranger too …"

"That's different though … I didn't even realize he was giving me such good advice until he did," Harry pointed out, "besides he's been teaching me for months."

"Whatever Potter," Draco rolled his eyes. "Just think you're all above it all, but really you're just a cheat."

**Bagman looked almost affronted, but couldn't say much more as Fred and George turned up at that point. **

"**Hello, Mr. Bagman," said Fred brightly. "Can we buy you a drink?" **

"**Er … no," said Bagman, with a last disappointed glance at Harry, "no, thank you, boys …" **

**Fred and George looked quite as disappointed as Bagman, who was surveying Harry as though he had let him down badly. **

"You two really shouldn't bother him so much," Molly said as Percy nodded his head.

"We just offered to buy him a drink, how is that annoying," Fred said.

"Well it would be with you to, so I can see where that could lean towards that way," Bill smirked as the twins made a face at him.

"**Well, I must dash," he said. "Nice seeing you all. Good luck, Harry." **

**He hurried out of the pub. The goblins all slid off their chairs and exited after him. Harry went to rejoin Ron and Hermione. **

"**What did he want?" Ron said, the moment Harry had sat down. **

"**He offered to help me with the golden egg," said Harry. **

"**He shouldn't be doing that!" said Hermione, looking very shocked. "He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out – haven't you?" **

"It's not like some of the other judges aren't cheating with their favorite champion," Sirius pointed out with a grumble.

"Do you think she knows you're lying," Ron questioned.

"After that comment … probably," Harry said, "that or she thinks I am."

"**Er … nearly," said Harry. **

"**Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!" said Hermione, still looking deeply disapproving. "I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much!" **

"**He's not, I asked," said Harry. **

"**Who cares if Diggorys getting help?" said Ron. Harry privately agreed. **

Tonks just shook her head but didn't say anything.

"**Those goblins didn't look very friendly," said Hermione, sipping her butterbeer. "What were they doing here?" **

"**Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," said Harry. "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work." **

**"Maybe Percys poisoning him," said Ron. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."**

"I would never poison him … anyone!" Percy glared at Ron.

"It was only a joke," Ron rolled his eyes.

**Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-things-like-that look, **

"Aw, a classic look," Ron sighed as if he was reminiscing.

"It really wasn't funny," Hermione snapped at him.

**and said, "Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch … They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." **

Bill grimaced at what he just read and pointed out, "they deal with more departments than that."

"Did I say something wrong?" Hermione asked.

"No, not really," Bill smiled at her. "You are right that is the most common department they deal with … it's just they don't like it very much. Especially since they have to go through that department first, even though some of their inquires have nothing to do with regulation or control of creatures as they see it."

"But goblin are creatures," Ron said, and quickly added when his oldest brother grimaced again, "I mean that's what they're classified as, right?"

"Yes, that's true," Bill sighed, "but you should realize that they don't particularly care for that classification, nor the limitations in our law it seems to give them."

"**Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though," said Harry. "Maybe they need an interpreter." **

"**Worrying about poor 'ickle goblins, now, are you?" Ron asked Hermione. "Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?" **

Hermione shot Ron a glare but he was too busy chuckling to notice.

"**Ha, ha, ha," said Hermione sarcastically. "Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?" **

"**No," said Harry and Ron together. **

"Why am I not surprised," Ginny said.

"Do you listen to him?" Harry asked her and she just grinned back.

"**Well, they're quite capable of dealing with wizards," said Hermione, taking another sip of butterbeer. "They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves." **

"**Uh-oh," said Ron, staring at the door. **

**Rita Skeeter had just entered. **

"Of course she's effing there," Ron complained. "Why did we even go to Hogsmeade?"

"No idea," Harry said in the same groan as him.

**She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby. Harry, Ron, and Hermione glaring at her as she approached. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something. **

"Argh," there was a groan by a few people, as no one like the idea of her being satisfied by anything.

"… **didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? **

"He's met you!" Fred suggested. "That's reason enough for anyone not to want to talk."

**And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in town anyway? Showing them the sights … what nonsense … he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman … ' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo – we just need to find a story to fit it – " **

"Find a story to fit," Duncan repeated outraged. Of course it made sense with this woman, but really, you can't think of the title of an article before you even have the actually story.

"**Trying to ruin someone else's life?" said Harry loudly. **

**A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken. **

"**Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join-?" **

"**I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," said Harry furiously. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?" **

**Rita Skeeter raised her heavily penciled eyebrows. **

"**Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my-" **

"Truth," Remus snorted, as if she cared about that.

"**Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry shouted. "There's nothing wrong with him!" **

**The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing. **

"That's not like her," Sirius mumbled.

**Rita Skeeters smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, "How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know. Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?" **

Harry thought about the last question and tuned out the rest of them. Was Hagrid a father substitute? Maybe, he was certainly old enough, to be his grandfather even. Still, Hagrid just seemed like a big kid, he was much more like a friend.

**Hermione stood up very abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade. **

"Through it at her! Through it at her!" the twins chanted.

"**You horrible woman," she said, through gritted teeth, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, wont they? Even Ludo Bagman – " **

"**Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl… not that it needs it -" she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair. **

"Hey!" Duncan complained, there was no reason for that horrible woman to go after his daughter's hair.

"Do you really think she had something on Bagman that would be shocking?" Percy wondered.

"Who knows," Bill shrugged, "though if she did, I don't know why she wouldn't have written about it by now."

"**Let's go," said Hermione, "c'mon. Harry – Ron …" **

**They left; many people were staring at them as they went. Harry glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out; it was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table. **

"**She'll be after you next, Hermione," said Ron in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street. **

"**Let her try!" said Hermione defiantly; she was shaking with rage. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? **

"Don't like that comment, ah," George said with a grin.

"No," Hermione admitted with a sharp look.

**Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid …" **

"**You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter," said Ron nervously. "I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you – " **

"Like what?" Hermione asked him.

"I don't know … I'm not her, am I," Ron shrugged. "I just don't think it's a good idea to annoy her."

"Do you really think she's going to do an article on me?" Hermione asked him, she looked doubtful.

"Don't know," Ron shrugged, "but I imagine that's the only way he knows how to attack people … with her words and articles. And if you get her mad …"

"**My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding!" said Hermione, now striding along so fast that it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep up with her. The last time Harry had seen Hermione in a rage like this, she had hit Draco Malfoy around the face. **

This sentence cause Draco to turn pink as he glared at Hermione, as nearly everyone else sniggered.

**"And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!" **

"You know what, I think Skeeter is the one that should be afraid now," Fred said, "you sound rather crazed Hermione."

"She's going after my friends," Hermione said, blushing.

**Breaking into a run, she led them all the way back up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars, and up through the grounds to Hagrid's cabin. The curtains were still drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached. **

"**Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, pounding on his front door. "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being – " **

**The door opened. Hermione said, "About t-!" and then stopped, very suddenly, because she had found herself face-to-face, not with Hagrid, but with Albus Dumbledore. **

"Oh-no," Hermione said, looking horrified at just the idea of that.

"Don't worry, Hermione, it's just Dumbledore," Ron said chuckling at her expression.

"Just Dumbledore," Hermione glared at him. "It's the worst person that could have been there!"

"Oh come on, I know he's the head master and all, but you'd be a lot more mortified if it was McGonagall that was there," Ron pointed out.

"Maybe," Hermione allowed, "but I don't think …"

"… You'd want to be found screaming like a lunatic in front of a professor," Ron grinned at that and she glared again.

"Well the good news is that Dumbledore is there probably trying to cheer Hagrid up," Remus pointed out. "Which should help him recover … especially with your help."

"**Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling down at them. **

"**We-er-we wanted to see Hagrid," said Hermione in a rather small voice. **

"**Yes, I surmised as much," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. **

"You've got to love Dumbledore," Fred grinned. "He always has the best lines."

**"Why don't you come in?" **

"**Oh … um … okay," said Hermione. **

**She, Ron, and Harry went into the cabin; Fang launched himself upon Harry the moment he entered, barking madly and trying to lick his ears. Harry fended off Fang and looked around. **

**Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He looked a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire. **

"**Hi, Hagrid," said Harry. **

**Hagrid looked up. **

"'**Lo," he said in a very hoarse voice. **

"Yes, I would say he was lo rather than hi," Ron said.

"**More tea, I think," said Dumbledore, closing the door behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione, drawing out his wand, and twiddling it; a revolving tea tray appeared in midair along with a plate of cakes. Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said, "Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?" **

**Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, "Hermione, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door." **

"Does he have to keep going on about it," Hermione complained as other in the room laughed as she steadily turn redder.

"**Of course we still want to know you!" Harry said, staring at Hagrid. "You don't think anything that Skeeter cow – sorry, Professor," he added quickly, looking at Dumbledore. **

"**I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said. Harry," said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling. **

"That's nice of him," Harry said.

"He couldn't have gone deaf with what I said," Hermione grumbled.

"**Er-right," said Harry sheepishly. "I just meant – Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that – woman – wrote about you?" **

**Two fat tears leaked out of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard. **

"**Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," said Dumbledore, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. "I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it –" **

"That was good of them," Molly said, "I'm glad that they thought to write to Dumbledore like that."

"**Not all of 'em," said Hagrid hoarsely. "Not all of 'em wan me ter stay." **

"**Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. **

"Not just a long time, forever," Sirius said. "No one is liked by everyone."

**"Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?" **

"That would be nice," Draco muttered.

"**Yeh - yeh're not half-giant!" said Hagrid croakily. **

"**Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry said furiously. "Look at the Dursleys!" **

"Worse than giants, they are," Harry continued with his thought.

"**An excellent point," said Professor Dumbledore. "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. **

"Er … what kind of inappropriate charms are we talking here …" Fred asked sniggering.

"Probably what you're imagining," Sirius said, "though just remember, you really don't want to ask Aberforth about it … the answer is rather …"

"That's enough!" Molly cut him off.

**It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery…" **

There was more laughter at that.

"Can he really not read?" Juliet asked looking alarmed.

"He can read just fine," Remus assured her. "It was merely a joke. Though he is not what you would call studious."

"**Come back and teach, Hagrid," said Hermione quietly, "please come back, we really miss you." **

**Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard. Dumbledore stood up. "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday," he said. "You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all."**

"Good old Dumbledore," Sirius smiled.

**Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fangs ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands. Hermione kept patting his arm, and at last, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, "Great man, Dumbledore … great man …" **

"**Yeah, he is," said Ron. "Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?" **

"Ron, is it really time for you to ask for cake?" Molly asked.

"Er …" was all Ron could say to that.

"**Help yerself," said Hagrid, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "Ar, he's righ', o' course – yeh're all righ' … I bin stupid … my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin' …" **

**More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said, "Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here …" **

**Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder. **

"On top of Hagrid shoulder?" Duncan said, "that really makes you realize just how tall Hagrid is, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Juliet agreed, she wear a similar stun look as her husband as she realized his size, who were the only ones that haven't meet him in person. Of course it was mentioned before, but this description seemed to make more sense.

**Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth - he looked hardly older than eleven. **

"I'd like to see that picture, I bet he looked adorable as a kid," Ginny smiled.

"**Tha was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts," Hagrid croaked. "Dad was dead chuffed … thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mum … well, anyway. 'Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really … but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year …" **

"That's so sad," Ginny said again.

"Yeah it is," Harry agreed, "though at least Hagrid had twelve years with his dad. And he was probably happy because Hagrid got into school and all …"

**Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job … trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances … tha's what sets him apar' from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren' … well … all tha' respectable. **

"Yeah, exactly," Sirius said, "none respectable families like mine."

"Your family is respectable," Draco glared at him. "You're the …"

"Yeah, I'm respectable, and I'm your family," Tonks said.

**But some don understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh … there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say – I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed. **

"Ah now Hagrid, don't go blaming her for not being ready to admit it," Teddy said.

**'Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, 'there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right. I've bin an idiot. I'm not botherin' with her no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones… I'll give her big bones." **

"And just what kind of big bone does he want to …"

"Don't you dear finish that, Fredrick!"

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another nervously; Harry would rather have taken fifty Blast-Ended Skrewts for a walk than admit to Hagrid that he had overheard him talking to Madame Maxime, but Hagrid was still talking, apparently unaware that he had said anything odd. **

"**Yeh know wha, Harry?" he said, looking up from the photograph of his father, his eyes very bright, "when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it … an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!" **

**He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, "Yeh know what I'd love Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all … yeh don' have ter be pure-blood ter do it. Yeh don have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. **

"You know when he puts it like that, it makes me want you to win too," Remus said.

**How you doin' with that egg, Harry?" **

"**Great," said Harry. "Really great." **

"Now you're lying to poor Hagrid," Fred aid. "Whatever happened to our honest Harry."

**Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile. **

"**Tha's my boy … you show 'em, Harry, you show 'em. Beat 'em all." **

**Lying to Hagrid wasn't quite like lying to anyone else. **

"Must actually feel guilty about it," George supplied.

**Harry went back to the castle later that afternoon with Ron and Hermione, unable to banish the image of the happy expression on Hagrid's whiskery face as he had imagined Harry winning the tournament. The incomprehensible egg weighed more heavily than ever on Harrys conscience that evening, and by the time he had got into bed, he had made up his mind – it was time to shelve his pride and see if Cedric's hint was worth anything. **

"It's way past time for that," Tonks mumbled as Harry made a face.

"That was the end of the chapter," Bill said, giving the book to Percy.


	27. The Egg and the Eye

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: I'm sorry about missing the last two updates. When I first started writing this fic I had about fourteen chapters finished, and I thought I'd be writing a few chapters a week to keep up with my updating schedule but that didn't happened. Unfortunately I think I'll only be able to post this chapter this week, but next week I'm hoping to get at least two chapters done and continue that until I'm finished with this book. At the worst though, I'll have at least one chapter a week.  
**

** Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty Seven

The Egg and the Eye

"**The Egg and the Eye," **Percy read.

"Well we all get what the egg means, but I wonder what the eye does?" Sirius mused out loud.

"I'm sure we'll see once we get there," Tonks said. "I'm just looking forward to seeing what the egg clue is."

**Harry had no idea how long a bath he would need to work out the secret of the golden egg, he decided to do it at night, when he would be able to take as much time as he wanted. Reluctant though he was to accept more favors from Cedric, he also decided to use the prefects' bathroom; far fewer people were allowed in there, so it was much less likely that he would be disturbed. **

"You do know that Cedric won't know if you use the bathroom or not … well unless he's there when you bring in the egg," Bill pointed out.

"I don't really think that's the part that matters," Harry shrugged.

**Harry planned his excursion carefully, because he had been caught out of bed and out-of-bounds by Filch the caretaker in the middle of the night once before, and had no desire to repeat the experience. The Invisibility Cloak would, of course, be essential, and as an added precaution, Harry thought he would take the Marauders Map, which, next to the cloak, was the most useful aid to rule-breaking Harry owned. **

"I'm glad our old map has been been useful to you," Sirius smiled, he couldn't help but thinking of the number of times that James had used the cloak and map in their adventures. He only wished that Harry could have used the map for normal rule-breaking and fun.

"Yeah, it's the best," Harry smiled.

**The map showed the whole of Hogwarts, including its many shortcuts and secret passageways and, most important of all, it revealed the people inside the castle as minuscule, labeled dots, moving around the corridors, so that Harry would be forewarned if somebody was approaching the bathroom. **

"It shows everyone in Hogwarts?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, everyone, though when there's a cluster of people it's hard to pick out the individual names," Remus answered.

"I kept trying to make it so you can call out someone's name and the label would glow or something," Sirius added, "but the magic involved in that made it harder to put our personally into the map."

"Personality?" Hermione asked.

"Oh right, you weren't there when the map insulted Snape," Harry said, "it was bloody brilliant. Of course at the time I thought I was going to get in big trouble, but it was still funny."

"What did it say?" Sirius asked excitedly, it would have been good seeing as it was Snivellus was the one it was insulting.

"A bunch of things that did not help the situation out," Remus sighed.

"That's true, but luckily Professor Moony was there to actually get me out of trouble," Harry smiled at Remus.

"Way to go Moony," Sirius slapped him on the back.

**On Thursday night, Harry sneaked up to bed, put on the cloak, crept back downstairs, and, just as he had done on the night when Hagrid had shown him the dragons, waited for the portrait hole to open. **

"Wait a second," Percy said looking up at Harry with a frown. "You decided after talking to Hagrid that you'd work on the egg clue, which was Saturday, and you waited until Thursday before you actually did anything."

"Er … apparently," Harry said.

**This time it was Ron who waited outside to give the Fat Lady the password ("banana fritters"), "Good luck," Ron muttered, climbing into the room as Harry crept out past him. **

"**I suppose that means he told you that he hadn't figured out the clue, yet," Hermione said coldly, she didn't really like that she was the only one that was being lied to. **

"Er maybe," Ron said. "But I'm not the one pestering him about the egg so much."

"Pestering!" Hermione bristled at the word. "I was trying to help …"

"Well yeah, I know that," Ron said, and he looked at Harry, who was sitting back in his seat and looking guilty, "and so does Harry."

**It was awkward moving under the cloak tonight, because Harry had the heavy egg under one arm and the map held in front of his nose with the other. However, the moonlit corridors were empty and silent, and by checking the map at strategic intervals, Harry was able to ensure that he wouldn't run into anyone he wanted to avoid. When he reached the statue of Boris the Bewildered, a lost-looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands, he located the right door, leaned close to it, and muttered the password, "Pine fresh," just as Cedric had told him. **

**The door creaked open. Harry slipped inside, bolted the door behind him, and pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, looking around. **

**His immediate reaction was that it would be worth becoming a prefect just to be able to use this bathroom. **

Percy looked at Harry like he was insane for even suggesting that the bathrooms would be the draw to becoming prefect. "It's an honor …"

"Is it really that nice?" Fred asked, interrupting Percy and whatever lecture he was about to make.

Harry shrugged, having no idea what it looked liked.

"It is really nice, at least it was when I was prefect," Remus said. "And it's definitely a lot nicer than the regular baths."

**It was softly lit by a splendid candle-filled chandelier, and everything was made of white marble, including what looked like an empty, rectangular swimming pool sunk into the middle of the floor. About a hundred golden taps stood all around the pools edges, each with a differently colored Jewel set into its handle. There was also a diving board. Long white linen curtains hung at the windows; a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner, and there was a single golden-framed painting on the wall. It featured a blonde mermaid who was fast asleep on a rock, her long hair over her face. It fluttered every time she snored. **

"Yes, that's exactly as I remember it," Remus said.

"That does sound rather nice," Fred admitted.

"What do they need a diving board in a bath for?" Duncan wondered.

"Well the bath is like a pool …" George suggested, as if that made sense.

**Harry moved forward, looking around, his footsteps echoing off the walls. Magnificent though the bathroom was – and quite keen though he was to try out a few of those taps - now he was here he couldn't quite suppress the feeling that Cedric might have been having him on. **

"What do you mean now that you were there … didn't you think Cedric was having you on all from the start?" Fred asked.

"Nah, that was just Harry being a jealous idiot," George said to his twin. "Before he believe Cedric's advise would help, he just didn't want to take it."

"Thanks George, for telling me how I think," Harry grumbled.

"It's no problem," the older boy smiled at him.

**How on earth was this supposed to help solve the mystery of the egg? Nevertheless, he put one of the Huffy towels, the cloak, the map, and the egg at the side of the swimming-pool-sized bath, then knelt down and turned on a few of the taps. **

**He could tell at once that they carried different sorts of bubble bath mixed with the water, though it wasn't bubble bath as Harry had ever experienced it. **

"You had a bubble bath before," Draco snorted.

"Shut up!" Harry complained.

**One tap gushed pink and blue bubbles the size of footballs; another poured ice-white foam so thick that Harry thought it would have supported his weight if he'd cared to test it; a third sent heavily perfumed purple clouds hovering over the surface of the water. Harry amused himself for awhile turning the taps on and off, particularly enjoying the effect of one whose jet bounced off the surface of the water in large arcs. **

"Well I'm glad to see you were using you're time efficiently," Tonks said drily.

"Shut up!" Harry grumbled again as the others laughed.

**Then, when the deep pool was full of hot water, foam, and bubbles, which took a very short time considering its size, Harry turned off all the taps, pulled off his pajamas, slippers, and dressing gown, and slid into the water. **

**It was so deep that his feet barely touched the bottom, **

"That's only because you're so short," Ron teased his friend.

"I'm not that short," Harry complained. "I'm advantage."

**and he actually did a couple of lengths before swimming back to the side and treading water, staring at the egg. Highly enjoyable though it was to swim in hot and foamy water with clouds of different-colored steam wafting all around him, no stroke of brilliance came to him, **

"Really! I thought swimming in a tub would really have helped you." Fred said sarcastically.

**no sudden burst of understanding. Harry stretched out his arms, lifted the egg in his wet hands, and opened it. The wailing, screeching sound filled the bathroom, echoing and reverberating off the marble walls, but it sounded just as incomprehensible as ever, if not more so with all the echoes. He snapped it shut again, worried that the sound would attract Filch, wondering whether that hadn't been Cedric's plan **

"Why would Cedric plan for you to be caught by Filch?" Tonks asked him, slightly annoyed.

"She really has a point mate, Cedric one of the most honest people I know," George said. "Great for pranking but not really one to play pranks himself."

– **and then, making him jump so badly that he dropped the egg, which clattered away across the bathroom floor, someone spoke. **

"**I'd try putting it in the water, if I were you." **

"Yep, that's what I was thinking too," Ron said.

"You were?" Harry asked.

"Er … Harry, I think we were all thinking that," Ginny said softly, pointing out the lack of response form the rest of the people in the room.

"Right," Harry said turning red.

**Harry had swallowed a considerable amount of bubbles in shock. He stood up, sputtering, and saw the ghost of a very glum-looking girl sitting cross-legged on top of one of the taps. It was Moaning Myrtle, who was usually to be heard sobbing in the S-bend of a toilet three floors below. **

"What's she doing there?" Harry asked making a face.

"Don't make a face, she's trying to help you out," Fred said.

"You wouldn't say that if you met her," Harry said.

"He's right, she's not really someone you want to meet in the bath," Bill was the one to say, he was making a face similar to Harry's. "She spies in the prefect bathroom a lot … though usually she's invisible."

"If she's invisible how do you know that she spies there?" Percy asked him.

"I said usually, some times she's not," Bill said with a shudder, "I've seen her a few times though luckily she didn't try to speak to me."

"**Myrtle!" Harry said in outrage, "I'm – I'm not wearing anything!" **

"Really … I thought you liked to bathe in your clothes," Ron said sarcastically, he seemed to be finding this all funny as Harry just turned redder.

**The foam was so dense that this hardly mattered, but he had a nasty feeling that Myrtle had been spying on him from out of one of the taps ever since he had arrived. **

"**I closed my eyes when you got in," she said, blinking at him through her thick spectacles. "You haven't been to see me for ages." **

"**Yeah … well …" said Harry, bending his knees slightly, just to make absolutely sure Myrtle couldn't see anything but his head, "I'm not supposed to come into your bathroom, am I? It's a girls' one." **

"**You didn't used to care," said Myrtle miserably. "You used to be in there all the time." **

"Why were you in the girls bathroom all the time?" Sirius asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"I think it explains right here," Percy said when Harry looked like he was trying to think of something to say.

**This was true, though only because Harry, Ron, and Hermione had found Myrtle's out-of-order toilets a convenient place to brew Polyjuice Potion in secret **

"Polyjuice Potion! You brewed Polyjuice Potion!" Molly exclaimed.

"Yes, I did," Hermione answered looking a mixture of embarrassed and defiant. "At the time we thought it would help discover who was opening the Chamber of Secrets."

"Do you have an idea how difficult that potions is to make … and what could happen to you if you get it wrong?" Molly questioned.

"Well she knows the latter," Ron said sniggering and Hermione glared at him.

"There was nothing wrong with potion Ronald," she gritted her teeth.

"Maybe not … but it sure was funny!" he said still laughing and ignoring her glare.

"You should probably keep reading, Perce," Bill said, clearly he should have told Ron more about how to talk to girls what he had said wasn't enough.

– **a forbidden potion that had turned him and Ron into living replicas of Crabbe and Goyle for an hour, so that they could sneak into the Slytherin common room. **

"That's what you used it for!?" Molly complained.

"Please tell me you pulled some kind of prank … or at least trashed the common room!" Sirius said.

"No sorry, we didn't have any time to do that," Ron said and Sirius, along with the twins looked disappointed.

"That was during Christmas wasn't it," Draco said narrowing his eyes, and Ron and Harry grinned at him in way to answer. Draco took that to mean yes and it did explain why Crabbe and Goyle had acted so strange.

"**I got told off for going in there." said Harry, which was half-true; Percy had once caught him coming out of Myrtles bathroom. "I thought I'd better not come back after that." **

"Of course Percy telling us off happened before we even started going there for the potion," Ron said.

"**Oh … I see …" said Myrtle, picking at a spot on her chin in a morose sort of way. "Well … anyway … I'd try the egg in the water. That's what Cedric Diggory did." **

"**Have you been spying on him too?" said Harry indignantly. "What d'you do, sneak up here in the evenings to watch the prefects take baths?" **

"**Sometimes," said Myrtle, rather slyly, **

"Which is one reason why I'm glad I'm not a prefect," Fred said.

**"but I've never come out to speak to anyone before." **

"**I'm honored," said Harry darkly. "You keep your eyes shut!" **

**He made sure Myrtle had her glasses well covered before hoisting himself out of the bath, wrapping the towel firmly around his waist, and going to retrieve the egg. **

"Aren't her hands see through anyways," George commented.

"Just shut up already," Harry grumbled.

**Once he was back in the water, Myrtle peered through her fingers and said, "Go on, then … open it under the water!" **

**Harry lowered the egg beneath the foamy surface and opened it … and this time, it did not wail. A gurgling song was coming out of it, a song whose words he couldn't distinguish through the water. **

"Then stick your head in the water too, you idiot," Ginny said, rolling her eyes impatiently.

"I'm an idiot now," Harry turned to her and she blushed red at calling him that, she had spoken before she really thought.

Teddy smiled at them too, thinking this was probably a good sign.

"**You need to put your head under too," said Myrtle, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying bossing him around. "Go on!" **

**Harry took a great breath and slid under the surface – and now, sitting on the marble bottom of the bubble-filled bath, he heard a chorus of eerie voices singing to him from the open egg in his hands: **

"_**Come seek us where our voices sound, **_

_**We cannot sing above the ground, **_

_**And while you're searching, ponder this: **_

**_We_'_ve taken what you_'_ll sorely miss, _**

**_An hour long you_'_ll have to look, _**

_**And to recover what we took, **_

**_But past an hour – the prospect_'_s black, _**

**_Too late, it_'_s gone, it won_'_t come back_" **

"So does anyone what to have a guess to what all that means?" Percy said, mostly because he wanted to take time to figure it out himself.

"Nah, I'm sure it will all be answered in the book, just keep reading," Fred said.

Percy made a face at him before saying pompously, "I was actually looking for an opinion from someone that actually has a brain."

"Did you just make a joke, Perce?" George asked him.

"Nah, I think he was being completely serious," Bill said and he and the twins chuckled, and Percy tried to keep glaring at them but found that he wasn't really annoyed.

"I do believe that Fred did have a good point, I'm sure Harry will figured out the clues soon," Arthur said, after giving his sons a few moment to laugh.

**Harry let himself float back upward and broke the bubbly surface, shaking his hair out of his eyes. **

"**Hear it?" said Myrtle. **

"**Yeah … 'Come seek us where our voices sound … ' and if I need persuading … hang on, I need to listen again …" He sank back beneath the water. It took three more underwater renditions of the egg's song before Harry had it memorized; then he trod water for a while, thinking hard, while Myrtle sat and watched him. **

"**I've got to go and look for people who can't use their voices above the ground …" he said slowly. "Er … who could that be?" **

"Actually there are a few creatures that can't talk unless they are in their native land, or I should say where they have come …" Percy started to explained.

"I thought we decided to keep reading and not guess?" George pointed out.

"I'm not guessing, I'm simply stating the facts," Percy said stiffly, the little good humor between them visioning as quickly as it came.

"**Slow, aren't you?" **

**He had never seen Moaning Myrtle so cheerful, apart from the day when a dose of PolyJuice Potion had given Hermione the hairy face and tail of a cat. **

"Argh," Hermione groaned as everyone looked at her, "oh shut up you two," she added to Harry and Ron who were laughing (along with many of the other in the room).

"You're really lucky that was all that happened to you when you made the Polyjuice Potion," Molly said sternly.

"Hermione … why have you never told us you were turn into a cat," Juliet asked, which of course caused more laughter.

"Er …"

"Or you making some dangerous potions?" Juliet went on.

"I'd think that one would have been obvious," Sirius commented and was glared at by Juliet.

"Or the fear you must have felt making said potion?" Juliet added, not angry this time but looking forlorn. "I supposed Sirius is right, it's obviously why you wouldn't want us to hear how much danger you are in, by your own choice or otherwise, but you seem to be keeping a lot more than just that away from us as well."

"I'm sorry," Hermione bowed her head, knowing what her mum said was true, but it was hard to think of safe subject to talk about at school. Of course the fear she felt in her second year about the Chamber of Secrets being open and Muggleborns being the supposive targets wasn't something she would have felt comfortable talking about anyways.

Juliet nodded at the apology, though it didn't change anything. There was a lot in this book that she didn't know, and she found it very disheartening that in some ways her daughter was included in that.

**Harry stared around the bathroom, thinking … if the voices could only be heard underwater, then it made sense for them to belong to underwater creatures. He ran this theory past Myrtle, who smirked at him. **

"**Well, thats what Diggory thought," she said. "He lay there talking to himself for ages about it. Ages and ages … nearly all the bubbles had gone …" **

Harry couldn't help but feel a little better hearing that it took Cedric a while to figure this out.

"**Underwater …" Harry said slowly. "Myrtle … what lives in the lake, apart from the giant squid?" **

"**Oh all sorts," she said. "I sometimes go down there … sometimes don't have any choice, if someone flushes my toilet when I'm not expecting it …" **

"So does that mean our sh …" Fred started and his mum protested but he kept going, "is in the lake? I don't think I'll be planning any swimming trips in the future."

"Too bad for Harry it seems like he'll likely have to take one, if this clue continues the way it seems to be going," George added with a smirk as Harry made a face, so glad that Fred had made that comment.

**Trying not to think about Moaning Myrtle zooming down a pipe to the lake with the contents of a toilet. Harry said, "Well, does anything in there have a human voice? Hang on -" **

**Harry's eyes had fallen on the picture of the snoozing mermaid on the wall. **

Remus smiled and nodded his head, he had thought it was them for a long time now and was glad that Harry put the clues together easily enough.

"**Myrtle, there aren't merpeople in there, are there?" **

"**Oooh, very good," she said, her thick glasses twinkling, "it took Diggory much longer than that! And that was with her awake too" – Myrtle jerked her head toward the mermaid with an expression of great dislike on her glum face – "giggling and showing off and flashing her fins …" **

"Hmph, I always knew you were smarter than that pretty boy," Ron said to Harry.

"Oh yeah, he's much smarter, seeing as he wouldn't even have known to put the egg in water without Cedric help," Tonks pointed out hotly, "and he wouldn't have been in the prefect bathroom either where a mermaid was."

"Whatever," Ron grumbled, "Harry still put the clue together faster."

"**Thats it, isn't it?" said Harry excitedly. "The second tasks to go and find the merpeople in the lake and … and …" **

"Wait … swimming in the lake," Hermione said as if she just figured something out.

"Er … Hermione what …?" Ron started, looking at her oddly.

"That's what Viktor was doing in the last chapter, swimming in the lake," Hermione said. "He was probably trying to find where the mermaids, or maybe trying to test the water or the spell he'd have to use to survive."

"I don't see why that's exciting," Ron grumbled.

**But he suddenly realized what he was saying, and he felt the excitement drain out of him as though someone had just pulled a plug in his stomach. He wasn't a very good swimmer; he'd never had much practice. Dudley had had lessons in his youth, but Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, no doubt hoping that Harry would drown one day, hadn't bothered to give him any. **

Sirius growled at that as others looked shocked. Surely the Dursleys wouldn't really want him to drown … but still just the fact that Harry would think they would was horrible.

**A couple of lengths of this bath were all very well, but that lake was very large, and very deep … and merpeople would surely live right at the bottom … **

"**Myrtle," Harry said slowly, "how am I supposed to breathe?" **

"Grow some gills," Ron suggested, trying to make a joke but his grin was force. Really he had no idea how Harry could survive underwater.

**At this, Myrtle's eyes filled with sudden tears again. **

"**Tactless!" she muttered, groping in her robes for a handkerchief. **

"**What's tactless?" said Harry, bewildered. **

"**Talking about breathing in front of me!" she said shrilly, and her voice echoed loudly around the bathroom. "When I can't … when I haven't … not for ages …" **

All the girls in the room rolled their eyes at this outburst, having at some point in time heard something like this from Myrtle before.

**She buried her face in her handkerchief and sniffed loudly. Harry remembered how touchy Myrtle had always been about being dead, but none of the other ghosts he knew made such a fuss about it. **

"**Sorry," he said impatiently. "I didn't mean – I just forgot …" **

"That's not going to help," Hermione sighed and Harry gave her a sheepish smile, having a feeling she was probably right.

"**Oh yes, very easy to forget Myrtle's dead," said Myrtle, gulping, looking at him out of swollen eyes. "Nobody missed me even when I was alive. Took them hours and hours to find my body – I know, I was sitting there waiting for them. **

"I can see why that would make her upset," Duncan commented, "no one would like knowing that they weren't noticed to be missing."

**Olive Hornby came into the bathroom – 'Are you in here again, sulking, Myrtle?' she said, 'because Professor Dippet asked me to look for you –' And then she saw my body … ooooh, she didn't forget it until her dying day, I made sure of that … followed her around and reminded her, I did. I remember at her brother's wedding –"**

"She haunted that poor girl for years," Juliet said, feeling bad for Olive Hornby. No one could answer that, as they didn't know.

**But Harry wasn't listening; he was thinking about the merpeople's song again. **

"**We've taken what you'll sorely miss." That sounded as though they were going to steal something of his, something he had to get back. What were they going to take? **

"—**and then, of course, she went to the Ministry of Magic to stop me stalking her, so I had to come back here and live in my toilet." **

"And for that day on, it was poor Hogwarts population," George quipped.

"**Good," said Harry vaguely. "Well, I'm a lot further on than I was … Shut your eyes again, will you? I'm getting out." **

**He retrieved the egg from the bottom of the bath, climbed out, dried himself, and pulled on his pajamas and dressing gown again. **

"**Will you come and visit me in my bathroom again sometime?" Moaning Myrtle asked mournfully as Harry picked up the Invisibility Cloak. **

"**Er … I'll try," Harry said, **

"And I'm sure you were being very honest there," Fred said, after looking at the horrified expression on Harry's face.

"Undoubtedly," Harry said sarcastically.

**though privately thinking the only way he'd be visiting Myrtle's bathroom again was if every other toilet in the castle got blocked. **

"Even if that happened I think I'd find somewhere else to go," Ron said.

**"See you. Myrtle … thanks for your help." **

"**Bye, 'bye," she said gloomily, and as Harry put on the Invisibllity Cloak he saw her zoom back up the tap. **

**Out in the dark corridor, Harry examined the Marauders Map to check that the coast was still clear. Yes, the dots belonging to Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, were safely in their office … nothing else seemed to be moving apart from Peeves, though he was bouncing around the trophy room on the floor above … Harry had taken his first step back toward Gryffindor Tower when something else on the map caught his eye … something distinctly odd. **

Hermione sighed, feeling pretty sure that Harry wasn't about to go back to the Gryffindor Tower and she wasn't the only one in the room that was thinking the same thing.

**Peeves was not the only thing that was moving. A single dot was flitting around a room in the bottom left-hand corner – Snapes office. But the dot wasn't labeled "Severus Snape" … it was Bartemius Crouch. **

"What?" nearly everyone in the room said or thought as they heard the name, they were all shocked. Even Teddy was a bit shocked, but as he thought about it he realized who this really was. Still he was surprised that Harry had seen this name one the map, so close to discovering the threat against him, but knowing that somehow things were going to go wrong.

"Why would he be there?" Sirius and Percy asked at the same time.

"You can't blame me for wanting to see what that was about," Harry said turning on Hermione, as he had heard her sigh before.

"No, I don't think I can," Hermione agreed, because she was very interested in hearing why Crouch would be in Snape's office in the middle of the night.

"It doesn't make any sense, Mr. Crouch has been sick …" Percy was saying out loud looking worried.

"Hey Perce, why don't you keep reading and we can see if Harry figured it out," Ron said, "he's sure to try and catch up with Crouch."

Percy nodded his head, here finally was a good use for Harry's nosiness.

**Harry stared at the dot. Mr. Crouch was supposed to be too ill to go to work or to come to the Yule Ball – so what was he doing, sneaking into Hogwarts at one o'clock in the morning? Harry watched closely as the dot moved around and around the room, pausing here and there … **

**Harry hesitated, thinking … and then his curiosity got the better of him. **

"Of course it did," Remus sighed.

"I doubt anyone here would have done anything different," Ginny commented, and looking at everyone's curious faces she knew she was right.

**He turned and set off in the opposite direction toward the nearest staircase. He was going to see what Crouch was up to. **

**Harry walked down the stairs as quietly as possible, though the faces in some of the portraits still turned curiously at the squeak of a floorboard, the rustle of his pajamas. He crept along the corridor below, pushed aside a tapestry about halfway along, and proceeded down a narrower staircase, a shortcut that would take him down two floors. He kept glancing down at the map, wondering … It just didn't seem in character, somehow, for correct, law-abiding Mr. Crouch to be sneaking around somebody else's office this late at night … **

Percy frowned, not just at Harry seeming to imply that being correct and law-abiding wasn't good, but at the fact that he agreed with Harry. The Mr. Crouch that he knew and admired wouldn't go sneaking around like this. The situation most be so direr that Mr. Crouch felt he had to us extraordinary means to achieve his goals … which made Percy a little afraid of what the situation might be.

**And then, halfway down the staircase, not thinking about what he was doing, not concentrating on anything but the peculiar behavior of Mr. Crouch, Harrys leg suddenly sank right through the trick step Neville always forgot to jump. **

Draco snorted, "seriously Potter, that's just lame."

Harry glared at him, though it wasn't very effective as he was turning red in embarrassment.

**He gave an ungainly wobble, and the golden egg, still damp from the bath, slipped from under his arm. He lurched forward to try and catch it, but too late; the egg fell down the long staircase with a bang as loud as a bass drum on every step – the Invisibility Cloak slipped – Harry snatched at it, and the Marauder s Map fluttered out of his hand and slid down six stairs, where, sunk in the step to above his knee, he couldn't reach it. The golden egg fell through the tapestry at the bottom of the staircase, burst open, and began wailing loudly in the corridor below. **

"Merlin Harry, I didn't think you could have landed yourself in a worst situation," Sirius whistled. "I'm impressed."

"Impressed?" Harry looked at Sirius oddly, that wasn't the word he was thinking of.

"Yeah … I've got myself in a mess once or twice but nothing as bad as being stuck in step and making loud noises some anyone would know where I was," Sirius said grinning.

"I still don't see why you're so happy about that," Harry said to him.

Sirius shrugged, he couldn't really explain it either, he guess he just liked that Harry was running around the castle late at night just like he and his friends used to do.

**Harry pulled out his wand and struggled to touch the Marauder s Map, to wipe it blank, but it was too far away to reach – Pulling the cloak back over himself Harry straightened up, listening hard with his eyes screwed up with fear … and, almost immediately – **

"**PEEVES!" **

**It was the unmistakable hunting cry of Filch the caretaker. Harry could hear his rapid, shuffling footsteps coming nearer and nearer, his wheezy voice raised in fury. **

"**What's this racket? Wake up the whole castle, will you? I'll have you, Peeves, I'll have you, you'll … and what is this?" **

"Well at least he's not looking for you Harry," Ron told his friend, that was the only bit of luck he seemed to be having in this situation.

**Filch's footsteps halted; there was a clink of metal on metal and the wailing stopped – Filch had picked up the egg and closed it. Harry stood very still, one leg still jammed tightly in the magical step, listening. Any moment now, Filch was going to pull aside the tapestry, expecting to see Peeves … and there would be no Peeves … but if he came up the stairs, he would spot the Marauder's Map … and Invisibility Cloak or not, the map would show "Harry Potter" standing exactly where he was.**

"Why don't you summon the map to you?" Duncan asked and the others looked at him, "er … sorry … would that not work?"

"It would work, and it's a good idea too," Arthur said, "I didn't think of that."

"**Egg?" Filch said quietly at the foot of the stairs. "My sweet!" - Mrs. Norris was obviously with him – "This is a Triwizard clue! This belongs to a school champion!" **

**Harry felt sick; his heart was hammering very fast - **

"**PEEVES!" Filch roared gleefully. "You've been stealing!" **

**He ripped back the tapestry below, and Harry saw his horrible, pouchy face and bulging, pale eyes staring up the dark and (to Filch) deserted staircase. **

"**Hiding, are you?" he said softly. "I'm coming to get you, Peeves … You've gone and stolen a Triwizard clue, Peeves … Dumbledore'll have you out of here for this, you filthy, pilfering poltergeist …" **

"Yeah right," Sirius rolled his eyes, "Dumbledore would have had gotten rid of him a long time ago if something like this was enough to get him kicked out."

**Filch started to climb the stairs, his scrawny, dust-colored cat at his heels. Mrs. Morris's lamp-like eyes, so very like her masters, were fixed directly upon Harry. He had had occasion before now to wonder whether the Invisibility Cloak worked on cats … **

"Do you think it does?" Harry asked looking at Remus but it was Sirius that answered.

"Yes it works on them, or at least Animagus that turn into a cat," he grinned.

"Came across McGonagall in her cat form, ah?" Fred chuckled as Sirius nodded his head.

**Sick with apprehension, he watched Filch drawing nearer and nearer in his old flannel dressing gown – he tried desperately to pull his trapped leg free, but it merely sank a few more inches – **

"Don't struggle, if you're still for a few minutes you're leg will slow come out," Neville said knowledgeably.

"Er …. I don't think I have a few minutes," Harry pointed out.

**any second now, Filch was going to spot the map or walk right into him – **

"**Filch? Whats going on?" **

**Filch stopped a few steps below Harry and turned. At the foot of the stairs stood the only person who could make Harry's situation worse: Snape. **

Harry and Ron had groaned the name the same time as Percy read it.

"That bloody jerk," Sirius growled.

**He was wearing a long gray nightshirt and he looked livid. **

"**It's Peeves, Professor," Filch whispered malevolently. "He threw this egg down the stairs." **

**Snape climbed up the stairs quickly and stopped beside Filch. Harry gritted his teeth, convinced his loudly thumping heart would give him away at any second … **

"**Peeves?" said Snape softly, staring at the egg in Filch's hands. "But Peeves couldn't get into my office …" **

"So that's why he was out … he must have know Crouch … well not that it was Crouch but someone … was in his office," Tonks nodded, that would explained the nightgown, because he would have been in his normal robes if he was patrolling the corridors that night.

"**This egg was in your office. Professor?" **

"**Of course not," Snape snapped. "I heard banging and wailing -" **

"Or not," Tonks said blushing slightly.

"**Yes, Professor, that was the egg -" **

"**- I was coming to investigate -" **

"**- Peeves threw it. Professor -" **

"**- and when I passed my office, I saw that the torches were lit and a cupboard door was ajar! Somebody has been searching it!" **

"**But Peeves couldn't -" **

"Filch seems to have a one track mind when it comes to Peeves," Duncan noted.

"He doesn't always," Ron said, "a lot of the time he's out to get the students, too."

"**I know he couldn't, Filch!" Snape snapped again. "I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break!" Snape looked up the stairs, straight through Harry, and then down into the corridor below. "I want you to come and help me search for the intruder, Filch." **

"**I – yes, Professor – but -" **

**Filch looked yearningly up the stairs, right through Harry, who could see that he was very reluctant to forgo the chance of cornering Peeves. _Go_, Harry pleaded with him silently, _go with Snape … go_ … **

"I'd love it if Snape got you out of trouble by showing up like this," Ron chuckled.

"You just had to say that, didn't you," Harry grimaced.

"What?" Ron looked at him questioningly.

"You know my luck … it's never going to work out like that," Harry sighed grimly.

**Mrs. Norris was peering around Filch's legs … Harry had the distinct impression that she could smell him … Why had he filled that bath with so much perfumed foam? **

"Because you're a sissy," Draco suggested and Harry glared at him.

"**The thing is, Professor," said Filch plaintively, "the headmaster will have to listen to me this time. Peeves has been stealing from a student, it might be my chance to get him thrown out of the castle once and for all -" **

"**Filch, I don't give a damn about that wretched poltergeist; it's my office that's -" **

**Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. **

**Snape stopped talking very abruptly. He and Filch both looked down at the foot of the stairs. Harry saw Mad-Eye Moody limp into sight through the narrow gap between their heads. Moody was wearing his old traveling cloak over his nightshirt and leaning on his staff as usual.**

Harry groaned, he really didn't need another professor coming there at this moment … then he winched remembered that it was worse than that because Moody could actually see him because of his magical eye. _Crap this was really bad, _he thought.

"**Pajama party, is it?" he growled up the stairs. **

"**Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor," said Filch at once. **

"Aw, I've always said he was crazy," Fred said, "hearing noises and all."

**"Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual – and then Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his off -" **

"**Shut up!" Snape hissed to Filch. **

Tonks raised her eyebrow at that, wondering why Snape didn't want Moody to know this, because it was obvious that he didn't. She supposed it was because he didn't like or trust Moody, he probably even suspected that Moody was the one that was in the office. Truth be told, Tonks wouldn't put it pass Moody to look in the office trying to see if there was anything suspicious. But it hadn't been Moody, it was Crouch, which to her didn't seem to make much sense, but she had to admit she didn't know much about Crouch personally.

**Moody took a step closer to the foot of the stairs. Harry saw Moodys magical eye travel over Snape, and then, unmistakably, onto himself. **

**Harrys heart gave a horrible jolt. Moody could see through Invisibility Cloaks … **

"Crap," Sirius groaned, though he couldn't help but think that the Marauders had been lucky they didn't have to deal with a professor with that magical eyes.

**he alone could see the full strangeness of the scene: Snape in his nightshirt, Filch clutching the egg, and he, Harry, trapped in the stairs behind them. Moody's lopsided gash of a mouth opened in surprise. For a few seconds, he and Harry stared straight into each other's eyes. Then Moody closed his mouth and turned his blue eye upon Snape again. **

"**Did I hear that correctly, Snape?" he asked slowly. "Someone broke into your office?" **

"He's not going to uncover you!" Fred said. "That's awesome."

"No … that's weird," Sirius said frowning.

"You'd preferred it if I was caught and got in trouble?" Harry asked him.

"Of course not," Sirius said. "And if Remus was the one that found you like this I'd be happy …"

"Why does that seem like a bad thing when you say that?" Remus mumbled.

"But any other professor wouldn't ignore the fact that a student is out this late at night," Sirius said.

"That's why," Remus answered his own question.

"More than that, Moody is not one to let anyone get off easy if they break the rules," Arthur added.

"That's not exactly true … I've gotten away with a thing or two," Tonks said with smile, but she felt uneasy with this and knew that her own explanation was weak. She tried to think of something better and said out loud, "besides he wouldn't want to see Snape's reaction …"

"**It is unimportant," said Snape coldly. **

"**On the contrary," growled Moody, "it is very important. Who'd want to break into your office?" **

"Apparently Crouch," George answered, "though we're still curious as to why he would do that."

"And it looks like we're not going to get any answers," Percy grimaced, he really wish that Harry hadn't stepped in that step because he was dying to know the reason for that as well.

"**A student, I daresay," said Snape. Harry could see a vein flickering horribly on Snape's greasy temple. "It has happened before. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store ****cupboard … students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt …" **

"Is it really that easy to break into his office?" Juliet asked, which Ron to snort and Hermione shot him a glare. "Do I want to know what that's about?" she whispered to her husband.

"I doubt it," he grimaced.

"**Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?" said Moody. "Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?" **

**Harry saw the edge of Snapes sallow face turn a nasty brick color, the vein in his temple pulsing more rapidly. **

"**You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," he said in a soft and dangerous voice, "as you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself." **

Tonks nodded her head, still feeling unnerved by Moody's behavior right now, but investigating Snape's office was more like the Moody she knows.

**Moodys face twisted into a smile. "Auror's privilege, Snape. Dumbledore told me to keep an eye -" **

"**Dumbledore happens to trust me," said Snape through clenched teeth. "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!" **

"**Course Dumbledore trusts you," growled Moody. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me – I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?" **

The older wizards and witches in the room grimace, have a good idea about what he meant, though the younger ones looked confused by the statement.

**Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him. **

And that just confused the younger people more.

**Moody laughed. "Get back to bed, Snape." **

"Well, he might be acting strangely, but you can't help but like him better after saying that," Sirius smirked, knowing that my no means was Snape going to appreciate being send off to bed like that.

"**You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" Snape hissed, letting go of his arm as though angry with himself. "I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!" **

"**Prowl away," said Moody, but his voice was full of menace. "I look forward to meeting you in a dark corridor some time … You've dropped something, by the way …" **

**With a stab of horror Harry saw Moody point at the Marauders Map, still lying on the staircase six steps below him. **

Harry groaned, it was really nerve wreaking to keep thinking he was going to get caught and get off.

**As Snape and Filch both turned to look at it, Harry threw caution to the winds; he raised his arms under the cloak and waved furiously at Moody to attract his attention, mouthing "It's mine! Mine!" **

"I supposed if he's hasn't said anything yet, that's the best thing you could do," Sirius said.

**Snape had reached out for it, a horrible expression of dawning comprehension on his face - **

"**Accio Parchment!" **

"Well at least someone thought about summoning the map," Fred smiled.

**The map flew up into the air, slipped through Snape's outstretched fingers, and soared down the stairs into Moodys hand. **

"**My mistake," Moody said calmly. "It's mine – must've dropped it earlier -" **

**But Snape's black eyes were darting from the egg in Filch's arms to the map in Moodys hand, and Harry could tell he was putting two and two together, as only Snape could … **

"**Potter," he said quietly. **

"Yep, that sounds like the way Snape would put things together," Sirius grumbled.

"Potter is there," Draco pointed out, rolling his eyes. "It seems like Snape put things together rather well."

"Yes, but if it had been some other person, he still would have thought it was Harry," Sirius huffed.

"Whatever," Draco merely rolled his eyes again.

"**What's that?" said Moody calmly, folding up the map and pocketing it. **

"**Potter!" Snape snarled, and he actually turned his head and stared right at the place where Harry was, as though he could suddenly see him. "That egg is Potters egg. That piece of parchment belongs to Potter. I have seen it before, I recognize it! Potter is here! Potter, in his Invisibility Cloak!" **

**Snape stretched out his hands like a blind man and began to move up the stairs; Harry could have sworn his over-large nostrils were dilating, trying to sniff Harry out – **

Several people couldn't help laughing at Harry's description of his sniffing.

**trapped. Harry leaned backward, trying to avoid Snapes fingertips, but any moment now – **

"**There's nothing there, Snape!" barked Moody, "but I'll be happy to tell the headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Harry Potter!" **

"**Meaning what?" Snape turned again to look at Moody, his hands still outstretched, inches from Harry's chest. **

"**Meaning that Dumbledore's very interested to know who's got it in for that boy!" said Moody, limping nearer still to the foot of the stairs. "And so am I, Snape … very interested …" **

"Merlin, he's really trying hard to bail you out here," George said, it still seemed pretty cool for a professor to get you of trouble, but he did understand Sirius's point. It was just sort of wrong that would happen.

**The torchlight flickered across his mangled face, so that the scars, and the chunk missing from his nose, looked deeper and darker than ever. **

**Snape was looking down at Moody, and Harry couldn't see the expression on his face. For a moment, nobody moved or said anything. Then Snape slowly lowered his hands. **

"**I merely thought," said Snape, in a voice of forced calm, "that if Potter was wandering around after hours again … it's an unfortunate habit of his … he should be stopped. For – for his own safety." **

"More like so you can torture him in your dungeon," Ron grumbled, meaning Harry would get likely get several days worth of detention and even more points taken away from him.

"**Ah, I see," said Moody softly. "Got Potter's best interests at heart, have you?" **

**There was a pause. Snape and Moody were still staring at each other, Mrs. Norris gave a loud meow, still peering around Filch's legs, looking for the source of Harry's bubble-bath smell. **

"**I think I will go back to bed," Snape said curtly. **

"It seems like he's is going to be taking Moody's earlier suggestions after all," Fred chuckled.

"**Best idea you've had all night," said Moody. "Now, Filch, if you'll just give me that egg-" **

"**No!" said Filch, clutching the egg as though it were his firstborn son. **

There was laughter at this description of Filch, too.

**"Professor Moody, this is evidence of Peeves' treachery!" **

"**It's the property of the champion he stole it from," said Moody. "Hand it over, now." **

**Snape swept downstairs and passed Moody without another word. Filch made a chirruping noise to Mrs. Norris, who stared blankly at Harry for a few more seconds before turning and following her master. Still breathing very fast. Harry heard Snape walking away down the corridor; Filch handed Moody the egg and disappeared from view too, muttering to Mrs. Norris. "Never mind my sweet … we'll see Dumbledore in the morning … tell him what Peeves was up to …" **

**A door slammed. Harry was left staring down at Moody, who placed his staff on the bottommost stair and started to climb laboriously toward him, a dull clunk on every other step. **

"**Close shave Potter," he muttered. **

"**Yeah … I – er … thanks," said Harry weakly. **

"**What is this thing?" said Moody, drawing the Marauder's Map out of his pocket and unfolding it. **

"It's the most awesomest map in the world," the twins said.

"Thank you," Sirius grinned at them, taking a bow. Remus just rolled his eyes at him.

"**Map of Hogwarts," said Harry, hoping Moody was going to pull him out of the staircase soon; his leg was really hurting him. **

"**Merlins beard," Moody whispered, staring at the map, his magical eye going haywire. "This … this is some map, Potter!" **

"**Yeah, it's … quite useful," Harry said. His eyes were starting to water from the pain. "Er – Professor Moody, d'you think you could help me -?" **

"Maybe in a minute, Potter, I'm looking at the awesome map," Fred said in a gruffy voice that was supposed to be an imitation of Moody.

"**What? Oh! Yes … yes, of course …" **

**Moody took hold of Harrys arms and pulled; Harrys leg came free of the trick step, and he climbed onto the one above it. Moody was still gazing at the map. "Potter …" he said slowly, "you didn't happen, by any chance, to see who broke into Snapes office, did you? On this map, I mean?" **

"**Er … yeah, I did …" Harry admitted. "It was Mr. Crouch." **

"This is good, Moody should know that Crouch was there," Tonks said, "he'll be able to look into it more than you can Harry."

"Yeah, maybe," Harry said, "though I doubt I'll get to hear what he finds out."

**Moodys magical eye whizzed over the entire surface of the map. He looked suddenly alarmed. **

_I bet he did_, Teddy thought, knowing that Crouch Jr. was realizing just how dangerous this map was to him as it showed very clearly who he really was.

_Alarmed_, Tonks thought, the apprehension she was feeling only seemed to grow at that word, she was thinking he would be more excited than alarmed.

"**Crouch?" he said. "You're – you're sure Potter?" **

"**Positive," said Harry. **

"**Well, he's not here anymore," said Moody, **

Teddy had to struggle to keep himself from snorting darkly at that.

**his eye still whizzing over the map. "Crouch … that's very – very interesting …" **

"Yes it is, and very very confusing too," Sirius said.

**He said nothing for almost a minute, still staring at the map. Harry could tell that this news meant something to Moody and very much wanted to know what it was. He wondered whether he dared ask. Moody scared him slightly … yet Moody had just helped him avoid an awful lot of trouble … **

"Which is confusing as well," Sirius mumbled.

"I think Moody likes Harry's initiative," Tonks tried another explanation, "Harry's showing some promising signs of being a good Auror."

"I am?" Harry asked, looking both surprised and slightly pleased.

"Yes," she nodded at him energetically, though she was mostly trying to think of another explanation for Moody's behavior, she meant what she said. Harry was showing several characteristics that were needed in a good Auror.

"**Er … Professor Moody … why d'you reckon Mr. Crouch wanted to look around Snapes office?" **

**Moodys magical eye left the map and fixed, quivering, upon Harry. It was a penetrating glare, and Harry had the impression that Moody was sizing him up, wondering whether to answer or not, or how much to tell him. **

"**Put it this way Potter," Moody muttered finally, "they say old Mad-Eye's obsessed with catching Dark wizards … but I'm nothing – nothing – compared to Barty Crouch." **

"**Really?" Harry asked. **

"Well … I'm not sure if anyone said that but it's true that Crouch went after Death Eaters hard," Arthur said, a sad expression in his eyes as he thought about how Crouch had to convict even his son. He wasn't sure if he could have done the same if one of his children had been a Death Eater, as just the thought of that seem to be too painful.

**He continued to stare at the map. Harry was burning to know more. **

"**Professor Moody?" he said again. "D'you think … could this have anything to do with … maybe Mr. Crouch thinks there's something going on …" **

"**Like what?" said Moody sharply. **

**Harry wondered how much he dare say. He didn't want Moody to guess that he had a source of information outside Hogwarts; that might lead to tricky questions about Sirius. **

"Which we definitely don't want to come up," Sirius said warily, the last thing he needed was Moody on his trail, though at least he as Dumbledore on his side so that might help.

"**I don't know," Harry muttered, "odd stuffs been happening lately, hasn't it? It's been in the Daily Prophet … the Dark Mark at the World Cup, and the Death Eaters and everything …" **

**Both of Moody's mismatched eyes widened. **

"**You're a sharp boy. Potter," he said. His magical eye roved back to the Marauder's Map. "Crouch could be thinking along those lines," he said slowly. "Very possible … there have been some funny rumors flying around lately – helped along by Rita Skeeter, of course. It's making a lot of people nervous, I reckon." A grim smile twisted his lopsided mouth. "Oh if there's one thing I hate," he muttered, more to himself than to Harry, and his magical eye was fixed on the left-hand corner of the map, "its a Death Eater who walked free …" **

**Harry stared at him. Could Moody possibly mean what Harry thought he meant? **

"Does that mean Snape?" Harry asked, looking at the Adults.

"He was never convicted," was the only answer he got from Remus.

"**And now I want to ask you a question Potter," said Moody in a more businesslike tone. **

**Harrys heart sank; he had thought this was coming. Moody was going to ask where he had got this map, which was a very dubious magical object – **

"It's not dubious … it's awesome," Sirius complained.

**and the story of how it had fallen into his hands incriminated not only him, but his own father, Fred and George Weasley, and Professor Lupin, their last Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. **

"What about me?" Sirius pouted this time.

"Hm … I think you might need some more feeding, you're acting silly again," Remus said thoughtfully.

"We just had lunch," Sirius rolled his eyes, even he wasn't hungry after that. "I'm trying to act the clown to lighten the mood, so will you stop ruining it."

**Moody waved the map in front of Harry, who braced himself- **

"**Can I borrow this?" **

"**Oh!" said Harry. **

"Oh … Harry, you're supposed to say no!" Sirius said.

"Yeah, I know … but he just saved me …" Harry pointed out, though he didn't really want to hand over his map to anyone.

Teddy grimaced, so that was how Crouch had gotten rid of the danger with the map, so simple as Harry would believe he was giving it to someone that was going to help him.

**He was very fond of his map, but on the other hand, he was extremely relieved that Moody wasn't asking where he'd got it, and there was no doubt that he owed Moody a favor. **

"**Yeah, okay." **

"**Good boy," growled Moody. "I can make good use of this … this might be exactly what I've been looking for … Right, bed, Potter, come on, now …" **

"Well Sirius, at least you have to be happy that Moody will be able to keep an eye on Harry even if he's not within his mad-eyes view," Tonks said. "It's giving Harry more protection."

"Yeah, I guess," Sirius sighed and again Teddy had to hold off a bitter laugh at how wrong all that was.

**They climbed to the top of the stairs together, Moody still examining the map as though it was a treasure the like of which he had never seen before. They walked in silence to the door of Moody's office, where he stopped and looked up at Harry. **

"**You ever thought of a career as an Auror, Potter?" **

Tonks nodded her head, again he was echoing her thoughts, she was just being too suspicious before.

"**No," said Harry, taken aback. **

"**You want to consider it," said Moody, nodding and looking at Harry thoughtfully. "Yes, indeed … and incidentally … I'm guessing you weren't just taking that egg for a walk tonight?" **

"**Er – no," said Harry, grinning. "I've been working out the clue." **

**Moody winked at him, his magical eye going haywire again. "Nothing like a nighttime stroll to give you ideas, Potter … See you in the morning …" **

**He went back into his office, staring down at the Marauders Map again, and closed the door behind him. **

**Harry walked slowly back to Gryffindor Tower, lost in thought about Snape, and Crouch, and what it all meant … Why was Crouch pretending to be ill, if he could manage to get to Hogwarts when he wanted to? What did he think Snape was concealing in his office? **

Percy nodded his head as he read this, at the moment thinking the same as Harry.

**And Moody thought he, Harry, ought to be an Auror! Interesting idea … but somehow, Harry thought, as he got quietly into his four-poster ten minutes later, the egg and the cloak now safely back in his trunk, he thought he'd like to check how scarred the rest of them were before he chose it as a career. **

Tonks laughed at that, "most aren't as scarred as Moody, though there are some that are."

"Why is he so scarred?" Harry asked. "If he's the best …"

"He fought all the most dangerous wizards in the last war," Tonks said grimly, "he was outnumbered a lot of times … it's hard not to pick up scars with everything he did …"

She didn't say it, but Harry was pretty sure that the other option to picking up scar was death … not really an encouraging thought. "Why did you want to become an Auror?" he asked, curious as to why this cheerful woman would want to do a job that could likely mean getting scars or dying.

Tonks frowned looking thoughtful.

"I'm sorry, that was a personal question …" Harry said.

"No, it's okay," she smiled at him. "I guess one reason is that my dad is a muggleborn wizard. I was always a bit more sensitive and aware of the how much hostility is still left with the pureblood wizards about that issue. And because Mum works in the Department of Magical Law I know that not much has changed in the years after the last war to make things better. It seems to me it's only an amount of time before something happens and I want to be prepared for that and maybe help stop it."

"Oh," was all Harry could say to that.

"Well that seems like a good reason to me," Sirius said to her, "maybe I won't have to hate you when you become an official Auror."

"Oh thanks Siri, I'm so glad to hear that," she said sarcastically, though she was glad.

"Er … that was the end of the chapter," Percy announced after that conversation had finished and he gave the book to Ron, who didn't look too happy to take the book, sure that he was going to have to read about the second task.


	28. The Second Task

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Second Task

"**The Second Task,"** Ron read and grimaced, he hated it when he was right.

"**You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" said Hermione indignantly.**

Harry sighed, having Hermione stare at him indignantly, though luckily she hadn't say anything, having already done so.

"**Keep your voice down!" said Harry crossly. "I just need to – sort of fine-tune it, all right?"**

Hermione frowned, she was actually more hurt than angry that Harry kept lying to her. Was the way she reacted so bad that it was better to lie to her?

**He, Ron, and Hermione were sitting at the very back of the Charms class with a table to themselves. They were supposed to be practicing the opposite of the Summoning Charm today – the Banishing Charm. Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when objects kept flying across the room. Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practice, the theory being that these wouldn't hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn't working very well. Neville's aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room – Professor Flitwick, for instance.**

Several people laughed at that as Neville turned red.

"I did that too, Neville," Fred told him, "though I must admit it wasn't on accident."

"That doesn't really make me feel any better," Neville sighed sadly.

"**Just forget the egg for a minute, all right?" Harry hissed as Professor Flitwick went whizzing resignedly past them, landing on top of a large cabinet.**

"Poor Flitwick," Ginny said, though she couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice.

**"I'm trying to tell you about Snape and Moody …"**

**This class was an ideal cover for a private conversation, as everyone was having far too much fun to pay them any attention.**

"Is that why we always have our big conversation in Charms," Ron said, "and hear I thought it was because Flitwick was the only professor that doesn't care about people talking as long as they were still working."

**Harry had been recounting his adventures of the previous night in whispered installments for the last half hour.**

"**Snape said Moodys searched his office as well?" Ron whispered, his eyes alight with interest as he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand (it soared into the air and knocked Parvati's hat off). "What … d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?"**

"Honestly, I think Moody is keeping his eye on everyone," Tonks laughed.

"**Well, I dunno if that's what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he's definitely doing it," said Harry, waving his wand without paying much attention, so that his cushion did an odd sort of belly flop off the desk. "Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he's giving him a second chance or something …"**

"Dumbledore does give people second chases but he's not a fool," Remus said knowingly. "He knows how to read people better than anyone else … both naturally and with Legilimency …"

Sirius looked at Remus with a grimace, for the most part he would agree with his friend, but he couldn't when they were talking about Snape. Sirius didn't trust that slimy git and he didn't think he ever would.

"**What?" said Ron, his eyes widening, his next cushion spinning high into the air, ricocheting off the chandelier, and dropping heavily onto Flitwick's desk. "Harry … maybe Moody thinks Snape put your name in the Goblet of Fire!" **

"That sounds like something he would do," Sirius said.

"You know you don't even sound like you think that's what happened," Remus informed him.

"I wouldn't put it past Snape, but I can't see what his motives would be to do this," Sirius said. "Besides, don't we all think that whoever put Harry's name in the goblet was a loyal Death Eater. Well Snape doesn't fall under that category any better than Karkaroff."

"**Oh Ron," said Hermione, shaking her head sceptically, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?" **

"Yeah, it makes me feel so much better knowing that it's impossible to tell whether he's saving you or trying to kill you," Fred said.

**She Banished a cushion and it flew across the room and landed in the box they were all supposed to be aiming at. **

_Of course she did_, Ron couldn't help but think rolling his eyes.

**Harry looked at Hermione, thinking … it was true that Snape had saved his life once, but the odd thing was, Snape definitely loathed him, just as he'd loathed Harry's father when they had been at school together. Snape loved taking points from Harry, and had certainly never missed an opportunity to give him punishments, or even to suggest that he should be suspended from the school. **

"I'd never say that Snape was fair, or that he isn't petty," Hermione said. "But what you've just thought has nothing to do with your life … er … I mean your safety."

"Why does he do it then?" Harry asked. "Why would he look after me in anyway when he loathes me like he does? Maybe if I had an answer to that I wouldn't question his loyalty."

Hermione frowned, "I don't think it's likely that we'll get to learn that. I doubt Snape would tell you."

"Yeah, I know," Harry agreed.

"**I don't care what Moody says," Hermione went on. "Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given them jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape, even if Snape is a bit -" **

"**- evil," said Ron promptly. **

Hermione shot a look at Ron who shrugged, agreeing with his book self assessment.

**"Come on, Hermione, why are all these Dark wizard catchers searching his office, then?" **

"**Why has Mr. Crouch been pretending to be ill?" said Hermione, ignoring Ron. "Its a bit funny, isn't it, that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?" **

Percy glowered at Hermione, she made it sound like Crouch was criminal. Of course Crouch had been in Snape's office and there was a lot of suspicious things about all that, but the only logical explanation for all of that was that Crouch learned of the threat that was happening and he was trying to figure out a way to stop it.

"**You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky," said Ron, sending a cushion soaring into the window. **

"**You just want to think Snapes up to something," said Hermione, sending her cushion zooming neatly into the box. **

"**I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he's on his second one," said Harry grimly, and his cushion, to his very great surprise, flew straight across the room and landed neatly on top of Hermione's. **

Ron looked at Harry slight put out that his friend had mastered the spell so quickly … usually him and Harry were about the same in class.

"That is a good question," Arthur said, "one I'm sure that many of us are thinking about right now. But you should also be thinking about what he had done to make Dumbledore believe he deserved a second chance."

**Obedient to Sirius's wish of hearing about anything odd at Hogwarts, Harry sent him a letter by brown owl that night, explaining all about Mr. Crouch breaking into Snape s office, and Moody and Snape's conversation. Then Harry turned his attention in earnest to the most urgent problem facing him: how to survive underwater for an hour on the twenty-fourth of February.**

**Ron quite liked the idea of using the Summoning Charm again – Harry had explained about Aqua-Lungs, and Ron couldn't see why Harry shouldn't Summon one from the nearest Muggle town. Hermione squashed this plan by pointing out that, in the unlikely event that Harry managed to learn how to operate an Aqua-Lung within the set limit of an hour, he was sure to be disqualified for breaking the International Code of Wizarding Secrecy – it was too much to hope that no Muggles would spot an Aqua-Lung zooming across the countryside to Hogwarts. **

"I probably didn't think of any of that at all," Harry admitted sheepishly.

"Of course the part about Harry not being able to learn how to operate the Aqua-Lung could easily have been solved by him summoning the thing now and learn how to use it," Tonks reasoned. "There's nothing saying that he couldn't summon it before the task started."

"Er …. I supposed," Hermione said, "though if he used it too much there wouldn't be a lot of oxygen left in the tank."

"**Of course, the ideal solution would be for you to Transfigure yourself into a submarine or something," Hermione said. **

"Actually it's not a good idea to transfigure yourself to an inanimate object, you won't be able to turn yourself back again," Percy said.

Hermione frowned, she knew that, it wasn't like she really wanted Harry to turn into a submarine.

**"If only we'd done human Transfiguration already! But I don't think we start that until sixth year, and it can go badly wrong if you don't know what you're doing …" **

"**Yeah, I don't fancy walking around with a periscope sticking out of my head," said Harry. **

"I don't know Harry … that seems like it would be a very nice fashion statement," Fred said thoughtfully. "I sure you could start a new trend."

**"I s'pose I could always attack someone in front of Moody; he might do it for me …"**

"Well at least you already know the target you'd use if you want to use that method," Ron said nodding his head toward Draco.

"I suppose," Harry agreed, though he didn't really think the plan was going to work, Malfoy was the only one he would probably curse like that.

"**I don't think he'd let you choose what you wanted to be turned into, though," said Hermione seriously. "No, I think your best chance is some sort of charm."**

**So Harry, thinking that he would soon have had enough of the library to last him a lifetime, buried himself once more among the dusty volumes, **

Harry and Ron both sighed at the idea of having to be in the library that much and Hermione just rolled her eyes at them.

**looking for any spell that might enable a human to survive without oxygen. **

"Harry you shouldn't limit your search so much," Remus said grimacing.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked looking confused. "You know I have to survive underwater …"

"Yes, but if you're only looking for ways to survive without oxygen it would be very hard for you to find anything useful," Remus said.

"Then what should I be looking for?" Harry asked.

Remus frowned looking thoughtful. He could think of a few spells and other things that might be helpful for this task but he wasn't sure what to tell Harry his search should be to find them.

**However, though he, Ron, and Hermione searched through their lunchtimes, evenings, and whole weekends – though Harry asked Professor McGonagall for a note of permission to use the Restricted Section, and even asked the irritable, vulture-like librarian Madam Pince, for help – they found nothing whatsoever that would enable Harry to spend an hour underwater and live to tell the tale.**

"See … I'm already having enough trouble trying to find something, I don't need my search to be broader," Harry said.

Remus didn't answer him this time but he still thought that it would be pretty hard for Harry to find anything useful in search field and he probably would have done better with the broader search. He also thought asking Madam Pince wasn't going to help Harry that much either because she knew where every book was in her library but she didn't know all the spells or context.

**Familiar flutterings of panic were starting to disturb Harry now, and he was finding it difficult to concentrate in class again. The lake, which Harry had always taken for granted as just another feature of the grounds, drew his eyes whenever he was near a classroom window, a great, iron-gray mass of chilly water, whose dark and icy depths were starting to seem as distant as the moon.**

**Just as it had before he faced the Horntail, time was slipping away as though somebody had bewitched the clocks to go extra-fast. **

"I don't know why you're complaining about that, I'd thought it would be better for you if the task came quicker … less time to think about it," Ginny said.

"Except for the fact I don't know what I'm going to do when the task comes," Harry said glumly.

**There was a week to go before February the twenty-fourth (there was still time) … there were five days to go (he was bound to find something soon) … three days to go (please let me find something … please) … With two days left, Harry started to go off food again. The only good thing about breakfast on Monday was the return of the brown owl he had sent to Sirius. He pulled off the parchment, unrolled it, and saw the shortest letter Sirius had ever written to him.**

_**Send date of next Hogsmeade weekend by return owl.**_

"Bloody hell, why didn't I write more," Sirius groaned at his own letter.

"Why do you want to know about Hogsmeade?" Harry asked.

"The only thing I can think of is that I'd want to see you," Sirius said evenly, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"You're coming to Hogwarts!?" Harry said, now nervous about that. "But you'll be in more danger if you come so close again, won't you."

"Don't worry about that Harry," Sirius smiled at him reassuringly. "Last time they thought I was after you and knew I was coming to Hogwarts. Now they have no idea where I am, and I'm just as safe there as anywhere else."

**Harry turned the parchment over and looked at the back, hoping to see something else, but it was blank.**

"Now back to what I was saying, why didn't I write more," Sirius huffed.

"Sirius, if you don't know, we don't know," Remus pointed out.

"I should be helping him with his underwater problem," Sirius said.

"I know," Remus said, his sarcastic tone gone as knew how worried Sirius was about all of this and how much he wanted to help Harry. He felt the same way.

"**Weekend after next," whispered Hermione, who had read the note over Harrys shoulder. "Here – take my quill and send this owl back straight away."**

**Harry scribbled the dates down on the back of Sirius's letter, tied it onto the brown owl's leg, and watched it take flight again. What had he expected? Advice on how to survive underwater?**

"Yes," Sirius said, that's what he expected.

**He had been so intent on telling Sirius all about Snape and Moody he had completely forgotten to mention the eggs clue.**

"Argh!" Sirius groaned, well at least he knew why he wrote such a short letter now.

"**What's he want to know about the next Hogsmeade weekend for?" said Ron.**

"**Dunno," said Harry dully. The momentary happiness that had flared inside him at the sight of the owl had died. "Come on … Care of Magical Creatures."**

"Sorry," Sirius sighed.

"It sounds like it's more my fault," Harry pointed out, but that hadn't really made them feel better.

**Whether Hagrid was trying to make up for the Blast-Ended Skrewts, or because there were now only two skrewts left, or because he was trying to prove he could do anything that Professor Grubbly-Plank could. Harry didn't know, but Hagrid had been continuing her lessons on unicorns ever since he'd returned to work. It turned out that Hagrid knew quite as much about unicorns as he did about monsters, though it was clear that he found their lack of poisonous fangs disappointing.**

"Why is that not surprising?" Fred chuckled, as others smiled or rolled their eyes.

**Today he had managed to capture two unicorn foals. Unlike full-grown unicorns, they were pure gold. **

"Baby unicorns are gold?" Juliet gasped, surprised about that.

"Yes," Remus said, "I'm sure Hagrid is about to explain more about that."

**Parvati and Lavender went into transports of delight at the sight of them, and even Pansy Parkinson had to work hard to conceal how much she liked them.**

"Why did she have to do that, you can't like unicorns if you're a Slytherin?" Ginny asked Draco.

He didn't answer, he just made a face at the idea of that.

"**Easier ter spot than the adults," Hagrid told the class. "They turn silver when they're abou' two years old, an' they grow horns at aroun four. Don' go pure white till they're full grown, 'round about seven. They're a bit more trustin when they're babies … don mind boys so much … C'mon, move in a bit, yeh can pat 'em if yeh want … give 'em a few o' these sugar lumps …"**

"**You okay Harry?" Hagrid muttered, moving aside slightly, while most of the others swarmed around the baby unicorns.**

"**Yeah," said Harry.**

"**Jus' nervous, eh?" said Hagrid.**

"**Bit," said Harry.**

"**Harry," said Hagrid, clapping a massive hand on his shoulder, so that Harry's knees buckled under its weight, **

Harry winched at that a little, he hated it when Hagrid did that.

**"I'd've bin worried before I saw yeh take on tha Horntail, but I know now yeh can do anythin' yeh set yer mind ter. I'm not worried at all. Yeh're goin ter be fine. Got yer clue worked out, haven' yeh?"**

"He has a good point Harry, have done everything you've set your mind to," Ron said to his nervous friend. "You'll be able to do this."

"Even if you have no idea what I'm going to do yet?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged, "you'll come up with something."

**Harry nodded, but even as he did so, an insane urge to confess that he didn't have any idea how to survive at the bottom of the lake for an hour came over him. He looked up at Hagrid – perhaps he had to go into the lake sometimes, to deal with the creatures in it? He looked after everything else on the grounds, after all – **

"Then ask him about it," Neville advised, caught up in the moment.

"**Yeh're goin' ter win," Hagrid growled, patting Harrys shoulder again, so that Harry actually felt himself sink a couple of inches into the soft ground. "I know it. I can feel it. Yeh're goin' ter win, Harry!"**

**Harry just couldn't bring himself to wipe the happy, confident smile off Hagrid's face. **

"Of course you couldn't," Ron sighed.

"I'm pretty sure Hagrid would have rather you ask him than worry about his smile," Sirius said.

"Do you think Hagrid knows how to breathe underwater?" Harry asked the room.

"Er …" Sirius said since he was the last to comment but he didn't know the answer to that.

"Well it's like you said, there's the possibility that he does," Arthur said when no one else did.

"Well then if he didn't know all my question would do is make Hagrid more nervous and worried and I wouldn't have gotten help," Harry said.

"But if he had known, Hagrid would have been over the moon because he was able to help you," Hermione said.

**Pretending he was interested in the young unicorns, he forced a smile in return, and moved forward to pat them with the others.**

**By the evening before the second task Harry felt as though he were trapped in a nightmare. He was fully aware that even if, by some miracle, he managed to find a suitable spell, he'd have a real job mastering it overnight. How could he have let this happen? Why hadn't he got to work on the egg's clue sooner? **

_Because he's a procrastinating lazy git, who doesn't listen to me_, Hermione couldn't stop from thinking, but she felt horrible listening to how worried Harry was, that she couldn't bear say that out loud.

**Why had he ever let his mind wander in class – what if a teacher had once mentioned how to breathe underwater?**

"You don't have to worry about that one mate, if they had Hermione would have told you about it already," Ron said and Harry had to admit he had a good point.

"Yeah, so don't start paying attention in class, anything stupid like that," Fred added, which earned him a glare from his mum.

**He sat with Hermione and Ron in the library as the sun set outside, tearing feverishly through page after page of spells, hidden from one another by the massive piles of books on the desk in front of each of them. Harry s heart gave a huge leap every time he saw the word "water" on a page, but more often than not it was merely "Take two pints of water, half a pound of shredded mandrake leaves, and a newt …"**

"Really, I didn't know that two pints of water and half a pound of shredded mandrake leaves came up all that much in books," George said, "you learn something new every day."

"I think he meant that water was a potion ingredient," Tonks pointed out.

"Then why didn't he just say that?" George questioned, though he did know that she was right.

"**I don't reckon it can be done," said Rons voice flatly from the other side of the table. "There's nothing. Nothing. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."**

"Hm, it seems like you're not just looking for ways to breathe underwater," Remus said, as causing a drought wasn't that.

"Well Ron likes to look at random books in his research," Hermione said, she knew she could never work like that, but wasn't the worst method there was.

"Well if you're looking at all the logical and organized books, and Harry's searching for ways to breathe underwater, it's better for me to look at random books," Ron said. "You never know where you can find something useful and how it might be made to work for this situation."

"I didn't say that your method wasn't good, Ronald," Hermione glared at him as he was doing the same. "I was just explaining your style of research."

"Yeah well I know …" Ron started.

Harry cleared his throat, and then asked when they both looked at him, "do you think you can stop arguing about this now?"

"Whatever," Ron grumbled, shooting another look at Hermione, who looked annoyed, before he started reading again.

"**There must be something," Hermione muttered, moving a candle closer to her. Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes with her nose about an inch from the page. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."**

"The problem is, that you would have learned so much by the time you got to your sixth year, that this task would have been a lot easier for you to manage," Remus said.

"So if I was older I'd know what to do?" Harry asked.

"I wouldn't say you'd know what to do, you would have had a better starting point," Remus sighed. "I'm guessing whoever made up the task thought the students would have been of age and therefore had a higher base of knowledge than you have now."

"**They have," said Ron. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate."**

"Something tells me that wouldn't work," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"Well I don't hear you suggesting anything better," Ron grumbled and started reading before she could say anything.

"**There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There just has to be!"**

**She seemed to be taking the library's lack of useful information on the subject as a personal insult; it had never failed her before.**

Hermione huffed at that and shot a glare at Harry, who, along with Ron, was trying not to laugh.

"**I know what I should have done," said Harry, resting, face-down, on Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts. "I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius."**

"You won't have become an Animagus in forth year, it wouldn't be possible," Sirius said.

"He's just saying that because he wouldn't want anyone to be younger than him when he became a Animagus," Remus said rolling his eyes. "You could have at least pretended to be supportive," he added to Sirius.

"What, it's not possible," Sirius insisted. "Besides Harry, you don't get to choice the animal that you turn into. It's more likely than not that whatever you'd turn into wouldn't help."

"Really? You don't get to choice?" Hermione asked. "How does it work then? Did you know that you would be a dog before you changed or were you surprised?"

"No, you don't get to choice," Sirius said. "Everyone is born with an animal they could turn into, and the first step of the Animagus processes, and the easiest step is to find out what animal that is."

"The animal you turn into, is it the same the same as your patronus?" Harry asked.

"Mine is … and so was James," Sirius answered. "I think there's a high possible that they would be the same."

"I would think that yours might not be the same though, Harry," Remus said looking thoughtful.

"Why?" Harry asked almost looking hurt hearing that.

"Well, I only suggest this because your patronus takes the form of your dad," Remus said with a sad smile, "Which I feel is because he would have wanted to protect you and because you want the same."

Harry shifted uncomfortable at hearing this in front of so many others but it was nice to hear too.

"I think that had a profound effect on you and the form your patronus took," Remus said.

**An Animagus was a wizard who could transform into an animal.**

"**Yeah, you could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!" said Ron.**

"**Or a frog," yawned Harry. He was exhausted.**

"**It takes years to become an Animagus, and then you have to register yourself and everything," said Hermione vaguely, now squinting down the index of Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their** **Solutions. "Professor McGonagall told us, remember … you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office … what animal you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it …"**

"Hm … I think I might have forgotten to do that," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"You know that you could have been sent to Azkaban for being an unregistered Animagus," Tonks told him.

"Yeah, but seeing as I was wrongfully imprisoned for years, I don't really care about that," Sirius said.

"Sirius and James were planning on registering as Animagus after they got out of Hogwarts," Remus started.

"But we thought it would be better to wait until after the war," Sirius said, "it never hurts to have an unknown skill to help you get away from Death Eaters. I don't know how many times it help to get away from them by turning into a dog. Of course they still shot at me, but they didn't seem to be as determined to kill a dog as they did me."

"**Hermione, I was joking," said Harry wearily. "I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning …"**

"**Oh this is no use," Hermione said, snapping shut Weird Wizarding Dilemmas. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"**

"I don't know, that sounds like something Fred and George would like," Ginny said, and they shrugged and smiled, as they agreed with her.

"**I wouldn't mind," said Fred Weasleys voice. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"**

"Looks like I was right," she said.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up. Fred and George had just emerged from behind some bookshelves.**

"**What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.**

"**Looking for you," said George. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione."**

"**Why?" said Hermione, looking surprised.**

"**Dunno … she was looking a bit grim, though," said Fred.**

"**We're supposed to take you down to her office," said George.**

**Ron and Hermione stared at Harry, who felt his stomach drop. Was Professor McGonagall about to tell Ron and Hermione off? Perhaps she'd noticed how much they were helping him, when he ought to be working out how to do the task alone?**

"Sorry guys, it looks like I got you in trouble," Harry said.

"It's only getting told off, as far trouble goes, this is probably the less dangerous you've got us in," Ron said.

"Besides Harry, you know we're going to help you whether will get in trouble or not, so don't worry about it," Hermione added and Harry couldn't help but smiling at his friend. Though Ron was right, this wasn't the worst bit of trouble he got them all in, he still wish they didn't have to be told off. Still, he couldn't help but appreciated the fact that they were there for him no matter what.

"**We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione told Harry as she got up to go with Ron – both of them looked very anxious. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"**

"So you are afraid of getting told off," Harry sighed.

"Who's not afraid of getting yelled at by McGonagall?" Ron said with a shuddered at the thought.

"Though I think we might be more anxious that it's the night before the task and you still don't know what you're going to do," Hermione pointed out.

Harry grimaced at her and the reminder that he was clueless when it came to this task.

"**Right," said Harry uneasily.**

**By eight o'clock Madam Pince had extinguished all the lamps and came to chivvy Harry out of the library. Staggering under the weight of as many books as he could carry, Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room, pulled a table into a corner, and continued to search. There was nothing in Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks … nothing in A Guide to Medieval Sorcery … not one mention of underwater exploits in An Anthology of Eighteenth-Century Charms, or in Dreadful Denizens of the Deep, or Powers You Never Knew You Had and What to Do with Them Now Youve Wised Up.**

**Crookshanks crawled into Harrys lap and curled up, purring deeply. The common room emptied slowly around Harry. People kept wishing him luck for the next morning in cheery, confident voices like Hagrid s, all of them apparently convinced that he was about to pull off another stunning performance like the one he had managed in the first task. **

"It's not just because of what you did in the first task," Neville said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"What he means is that you've done so many dangerous and mysterious things in the last three years, there's more than just the first task that has people confident you'll pull something out of your arse," George explained.

"Hell, with only hours left before the next task, I still think you're going to pull something off," Fred added.

Harry looking at him expecting to see some kind of smirk or signed that he was joking as usually, but he didn't see any. Harry wasn't sure were this kind of faith came from, as he himself was convinced that he wasn't going to have anything.

**Harry couldn't answer them, he just nodded, feeling as though there were a golfball stuck in his throat. By ten to midnight, he was alone in the room with Crookshanks. He had searched all the remaining books, and Ron and Hermione had not come back.**

"Why aren't we back yet?" Hermione asked, if they were really being told off by McGonagall, they should have been back before midnight.

"Maybe we doing some kind of detention," Ron said making a face at the thought of that. "Or McGonagall is making us stay somewhere else, knowing if we're near Harry, we're going to be helping him out?"

"Something tells me that McGonagall didn't want to talk to you for that reason," Bill said frowning, "it doesn't say anywhere in the rules that you can't have your friends help you … it just doesn't

**It's over, he told himself. You can't do it. You'll just have to go down to the lake in the morning and tell the judges …**

**He imagined himself explaining that he couldn't do the task. He pictured Bagman's look of round-eyed surprise, Karkaroffs satisfied, yellow-toothed smile. He could almost hear Fleur Delacour saying "I knew it … 'e is too young, 'e is only a little boy." He saw Malfoy flashing his POTTER STINKS badge at the front of the crowd, saw Hagrid s crestfallen, disbelieving face …**

"You know for someone that claims they don't like attention, you sure do spending a lot of time thinking about what people think," Fred informed Harry.

"No one likes to be thought of negatively," Harry mumbled.

**Forgetting that Crookshanks was on his lap. Harry stood up very suddenly; Crookshanks hissed angrily as he landed on the floor, gave Harry a disgusted look, and stalked away with his bottlebrush tail in the air, but Harry was already hurrying up the spiral staircase to his Dormitory … He would grab the Invisibility Cloak and go back to the library, he'd stay there all night if he had to …**

Sirius couldn't help but grinned as he shook his head at the thought of James ever using the cloak to go to the library. The grin fell as he thought the reason why Harry was going to the library and felt a little guilty about being amused. Why wasn't he nervous and on the edge of his seat and worried that Harry hadn't thought of a way to survive in the lake? Maybe it was like Fred had said and he thought somehow Harry was going to pull this off. This was the boy that saved him from the dementors and freed him when he thought he was caught.

"**Lumos," Harry whispered fifteen minutes later as he opened the library door.**

**Wand tip alight, he crept along the bookshelves, pulling down more books – books of hexes and charms, books on merpeople and water monsters, books on famous witches and wizards, on magical inventions, on anything at all that might include one passing reference to underwater survival. He carried them over to a table, then set to work, searching them by the narrow beam of his wand, occasionally checking his watch …**

**One in the morning … two in the morning … the only way he could keep going was to tell himself, over and over again, next book … in the next one … the next one …**

**The mermaid in the painting in the prefects' bathroom was laughing. Harry was bobbing like a cork in bubbly water next to her rock, while she held his Firebolt over his head.**

"They're not really going to take my Firebolt!" Harry gasped, though of course he knew this was a dream, he didn't want his broom to be taken by the mermaids, especially when he doesn't know what he was going to do.

"They might," Arthur answered after a moment as everyone looked at each other, "I not really sure what they would take."

"Well seeing as you, Krum and Cedric would all care a lot if their broom taken, it might be something like that," Bill reasoned. "I wonder if Fleur plays Quidditch as well."

"She doesn't," Teddy answered, "She doesn't like flying at all."

"You really do seem to know a lot about her," Tonks noted looking at him closely but he just turned and smiled at her.

"**Come and get it!" she giggled maliciously. "Come on, jump!"**

"**I can't," Harry panted, snatching at the Firebolt, and struggling not to sink. "Give it to me!"**

**But she just poked him painfully in the side with the end of the broomstick, laughing at him.**

"**That hurts – get off – ouch -"**

"**Harry Potter must wake up, sir!"**

"**Stop poking me -"**

"**Dobby must poke Harry Potter, sir, he must wake up!"**

**Harry opened his eyes. He was still in the library; the Invisibility Cloak had slipped off his head as he'd slept, and the side of his face was stuck to the pages of Where There's a Wand, There's a Way. He sat up, straightening his glasses, blinking in the bright daylight.**

"**Harry Potter needs to hurry!" squeaked Dobby. "The second task starts in ten minutes, and Harry Potter -"**

"Ten minutes!" was the general groan in the room.

"So much for Harry pulling something out of his arse," George said.

"Hey, he still has ten minutes," Fred said, "er … he can still do it."

"**Ten minutes?" Harry croaked. "Ten – ten minutes?"**

**He looked down at his watch. Dobby was right. It was twenty past nine. A large, dead weight seemed to fall through Harry's chest into his stomach.**

"Well that's not going to help you swim," Fred said, "though it might help you sink."

"Thanks," Harry grumbled.

"**Hurry, Harry Potter!" squeaked Dobby, plucking at Harry's sleeve. "You is supposed to be down by the lake with the other champions, sir!"**

"**It's too late, Dobby," Harry said hopelessly. "I'm not doing the task, I don't know how -"**

"You still have to get down the lake, even if you can't do the task," Sirius said slightly alarmed.

Harry looked at him confused, for the first time in this chapter it seemed that Sirius was really worried.

"It's the magical contract thing," Sirius explained when he noticed that Harry was confused by his reaction. "If you're not at the task … well it's sort of like you forfeiting. So even if you can't do the task, you have to show up for it."

"**Harry Potter will do the task!" squeaked the elf. "Dobby knew Harry had not found the right book, so Dobby did it for him!"**

Harry sat up straighter and smiled.

"Where was he with this book the night before," Ron grumbled, though he was relieved that Doddy was helping Harry, he just wish it would have been sooner.

"Maybe he would of if Harry hadn't disappeared," Ginny said. "You're probably lucky that your cloak slipped off or he might not have been able to find you."

"**What?" said Harry. "But you don't know what the second task is -"**

"Hey that's right," Harry said, "how does he even know what the task is."

"He's an elf, he was probably listening to people, or maybe even you, talk about it," Fred answered.

"**Dobby knows, sir! Harry Potter has to go into the lake and find his Wheezy -"**

"Wheezy?" severally people questioned, not sure what that was.

"Well, at least it seems like they haven't taken your broom," Fred said cheerfully.

"Yeah," Harry said, but he felt uneasy, how could they take something he would surely miss when he didn't even know what was taken? What was this Wheezy?

"**Find my what?"**

"**- and take his Wheezy back from the merpeople!"**

"**What's a Wheezy?"**

"**Your Wheezy, sir, your Wheezy – Wheezy who is giving Dobby his sweater!" **

"Bloody hell," Ron gasped right after he finished reading that part, "he means me."

"NO!" several people shouted at the same time.

"They can't take my baby," Molly gasped. She looked like she was about to get up and hug him but Arthur held onto her and she turned into her husband.

"But I don't know what I'm doing," Harry said in a panic.

Hermione gasped as well but she couldn't say anything, as she couldn't believe that Ron would be taken.

"This is just more reason for you to go all Harry Potter on our arse, and pull of a heroic recuse," Fred said, his voice a little shaky as he didn't really like this at all.

Harry didn't answered to that, he just grabbed his head, how the hell was he going to pull of some recuse at all when he has no idea whatsoever what he was going to do?

Ron was feeling a little numb after he realized that he was taken and was going to use as bait, but Fred was right, Harry wasn't going to leave him stranded somewhere in the lake. He started reading before anyone else could make a comment.

**Dobby plucked at the shrunken maroon sweater he was now wearing over his shorts.**

"**What?" Harry gasped. "They've got … they've got Ron?"**

"**The thing Harry Potter will miss most, sir!" squeaked Dobby. "'But past an hour- '"**

Ron couldn't help but pause there and feeling a bit pleased by that he was that important to Harry, and felt a lot worse about the fight in the book.

"**- 'the prospect's black,'" Harry recited, staring, horror-struck, at the elf. "'Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.' **

"They wouldn't really take away a person forever if the champion doesn't come, would they?" Duncan asked in alarm.

"No, they wouldn't," Teddy said looking at him wondering how much worse he was going to take this when he realized that Hermione was in the lake too. "It's just what they said to make sure the champions would get there within the hour."

"So you mean Ron will be okay even if I don't get there," Harry said feeling as if a wait was being lifted off his shoulder as Teddy nodded his head.

**Dobby – what've I got to do?"**

"**You has to eat this, sir!" squeaked the elf, and he put his hand in the pocket of his shorts and drew out a ball of what looked like slimy, grayish-green rat tails. **

"What is that?" Harry asked.

"I was just about to read that," Ron said as Neville answered, "I think it's gillyweed."

"Er?" Harry said looking at Neville showing that he was still confused.

"It's a plant grown in the Mediterranean," Neville answered, "I recognize the description but I don't really know too much about it because all the book I was reading said was good for underwater use."

**"Right before you go into the lake, sir - gillyweed!"**

"**What's it do?" said Harry, staring at the gillyweed.**

"**It will make Harry Potter breathe underwater, sir!"**

"**Dobby," said Harry frantically, "listen – are you sure about this?"**

**He couldn't quite forget that the last time Dobby had tried to "help" him, he had ended up with no bones in his right arm.**

"This is a completely different situation Harry, I'm sure Dobby is helping you," Hermione said biting her lip. It didn't matter that Teddy had said that Ron would be okay even if Harry wouldn't get there. "I mean last time he was trying to stop you from going to, and staying at, Hogwarts."

"And the gillyweed is something that will work perfectly," Remus added, "I was actually the thing I was hoping you'd find in your desperate search in your last hours because you don't have to learn a spell or anything else like that to use it."

"He would just have to find some," Sirius said. "Which I'm sure would be a walk in the park."

"I wouldn't say a walk in the park, but Snape has some in his supply room," Remus said.

"How do you know that?" Sirius asked.

"Because Snape felt the need to show me how low his supply of wolfsbane because he had to keep making the potion for me," Remus sighed, causing Sirius to growl.

"**Dobby is quite sure, sir!" said the elf earnestly. "Dobby hears things, sir, he is a house-elf, he goes all over the castle as he lights the fires and mops the floors. Dobby heard Professor McGonagall and Professor Moody in the staffroom, talking about the next task … Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!"**

**Harrys doubts vanished. Jumping to his feet he pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, stuffed it into his bag, grabbed the gillyweed, and put it into his pocket, then tore out of the library with Dobby at his heels.**

"**Dobby is supposed to be in the kitchens, sir!" Dobby squealed as they burst into the corridor. "Dobby will be missed – good luck, Harry Potter, sir, good luck!"**

"**See you later, Dobby!" Harry shouted, and he sprinted along the corridor and down the stairs, three at a time.**

"Harry you should say thank you," Hermione reprimanded.

"Er … I'm sure I will afterwards," Harry mumbled.

**The entrance hall contained a few last-minute stragglers, all leaving the Great Hall after breakfast and heading through the double oak doors to watch the second task.**

**They stared as Harry flashed past, sending Colin and Dennis Creevey flying as he leapt down the stone steps and out onto the bright, chilly grounds.**

**As he pounded down the lawn he saw that the seats that had encircled the dragons' enclosure in November were now ranged along the opposite bank, rising in stands that were packed to the bursting point and reflected in the lake below. The excited babble of the crowd echoed strangely across the water as Harry ran flat-out around the other side of the lake toward the judges, who were sitting at another golddraped table at the water's edge. Cedric, Fleur, and Krum were beside the judges' table, watching Harry sprint toward them.**

"**I'm … here …" Harry panted, skidding to a halt in the mud and accidentally splattering Fleurs robes.**

"Well I'm sure that will make her like you more," George snorted.

Teddy couldn't help laughing at that and then he ignored the strange looks he got from the others. After this day she wasn't going to think lowly of Harry again.

"**Where have you been?" said a bossy, disapproving voice. "The task's about to start!"**

**Harry looked around. Percy Weasley was sitting at the judges' table – Mr. Crouch had failed to turn up again.**

"**Now, now, Percy!" said Ludo Bagman, who was looking intensely relieved to see Harry. "Let him catch his breath!"**

**Dumbledore smiled at Harry, but Karkaroff and Madame Maxime didn't look at all pleased to see him … It was obvious from the looks on their faces that they had thought he wasn't going to turn up.**

"Stupid jerks don't even want to win in a fear fight, they rather you just not come," Sirius grumbled, shaking his head. He was a firm believer it was better to beat someone head on head, that way you can brag about it later.

**Harry bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath; he had a stitch in his side that felt as though he had a knife between his ribs, but there was no time to get rid of it; Ludo Bagman was now moving among the champions, spacing them along the bank at intervals of ten feet. Harry was on the very end of the line, next to Krum, who was wearing swimming trunks and was holding his wand ready.**

"**All right. Harry?" Bagman whispered as he moved Harry a few feet farther away from Krum. "Know what you're going to do?"**

"And what would he do if you told him no, you don't know what you're going to do," George question, leaving out the fact that only a few moments ago that Harry hadn't known that.

"He couldn't do anything," Remus said.

"**Yeah," Harry panted, massaging his ribs.**

**Bagman gave Harry's shoulder a quick squeeze and returned to the judges' table; he pointed his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, said, "Sonorus!" and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.**

"**Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One … two … three!"**

"You really did get there just in time," Hermione said.

**The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause; without looking to see what the other champions were doing, Harry pulled off his shoes and socks, pulled the handful of gillyweed out of his pocket, stuffed it into his mouth, and waded out into the lake. **

**It was so cold he felt the skin on his legs searing as though this were fire, not icy water. His sodden robes weighed him down as he walked in deeper; **

"You probably should take your robes off too," Fred said.

**now the water was over his knees, and his rapidly numbing feet were slipping over silt and flat, slimy stones. He was chewing the gillyweed as hard and fast as he could; it felt unpleasantly slimy and rubbery, like octopus tentacles. **

"When did you eat octopus tentacles?" Ron asked his friend.

"Aunt Petunia heard that everyone was eating them so she tried to cook some this one time," Harry making a face. "No one liked it, and I ended up having to eat most of it."

**Waist-deep in the freezing water he stopped, swallowed, and waited for something to happen.**

**He could hear laughter in the crowd and knew he must look stupid, walking into the lake without showing any sign of magical power. The part of him that was still dry was covered in goose pimples; half immersed in the icy water, a cruel breeze lifting his hair, Harry started to shiver violently. He avoided looking at the stands; the laughter was becoming louder, and there were catcalls and jeering from the Slytherins …**

"You do have to admit you must have looked stupid," Draco smirked.

"Whatever," Harry shrugged.

**Then, quite suddenly, Harry felt as though an invisible pillow had been pressed over his mouth and nose. He tried to draw breath, but it made his head spin; his lungs were empty, and he suddenly felt a piercing pain on either side of his neck – Harry clapped his hands around his throat and felt two large slits just below his ears, flapping in the cold air … He had gills. Without pausing to think, he did the only thing that made sense – he flung himself forward into the water.**

**The first gulp of icy lake water felt like the breath of life. His head had stopped spinning; he took another great gulp of water and felt it pass smoothly through his gills, sending oxygen back to his brain. He stretched out his hands in front of him and stared at them. They looked green and ghostly under the water, and they had become webbed. He twisted around and looked at his bare feet – they had become elongated and the toes were webbed too: It looked as though he had sprouted flippers.**

"That's even better than just being able to breathe," Ron said, "you can swim better now. The gillyweed seems like a really good thing to use."

**The water didn't feel icy anymore either … on the contrary, he felt pleasantly cool and very light … Harry struck out once more, marveling at how far and fast his flipper-like feet propelled him through the water, and noticing how clearly he could see, and how he no longer seemed to need to blink. He had soon swum so far into the lake that he could no longer see the bottom. He flipped over and dived into its depths.**

**Silence pressed upon his ears as he soared over a strange, dark, foggy landscape. He could only see ten feet around him, so that as he sped through the water new scenes seemed to loom suddenly out of the incoming darkness: forests of rippling, tangled black weed, wide plains of mud littered with dull, glimmering stones. He swam deeper and deeper, out toward the middle of the lake, his eyes wide, staring through the eerily gray-lit water around him to the shadow beyond, where the water became opaque.**

**Small fish flickered past him like silver darts. Once or twice he thought he saw something larger moving ahead of him, but when he got nearer, he discovered it to be nothing but a large, blackened log, or a dense clump of weed. There was no sign of any of the other champions, merpeople, Ron – nor, thankfully, the giant squid.**

Duncan couldn't help shuddering at the mention of the giant squid, which he had been thinking of since the mention that the champions having to go into the lake.

"Siriusly Harry, you really shouldn't worry about Eric so much, he's been train to get along with the students and not to attack them," Sirius said.

"Still calling the giant squid Eric I see," Remus said.

"It's what I know him as," Sirius shrugged.

Duncan looked at Sirius, trying to be comforted about the fact that he was so assured the squid wasn't a danger, but it didn't seem to help.

**Light green weed stretched ahead of him as far as he could see, two feet deep, like a meadow of very overgrown grass. **

Remus frowned at this, sure he knew what would be larking in this weed.

**Harry was staring unblinkingly ahead of him, trying to discern shapes through the gloom … and then, without warning, something grabbed hold of his ankle.**

**Harry twisted his body around and saw a grindylow, **

"We have grindylows in the lake!" Hermione groaned.

"Apparently," Remus said, "I actually wasn't aware of this either. I imagine that Harry is rather deep in the middle of the lake by now, and in a part that we humans wouldn't travel to very often."

**a small, horned water demon, poking out of the weed, its long fingers clutched tightly around Harry's leg, its pointed fangs bared – Harry stuck his webbed hand quickly inside his robes and fumbled for his wand. **

"You should have been holding your wand already," Percy said, sounding more worried than bossy like he normally would.

**By the time he had grasped it, two more grindylows had risen out of the weed, had seized handfuls of Harry's robes, and were attempting to drag him down.**

"I told you should have taken off the robes," Fred said.

"I'm not so sure about that," Remus said, "it's much better for them to be grabbing the robes than Harry himself."

"**Relashio!" Harry shouted, **

"It seems like you remember the lesson on grindylows," Remus said, glad that he had taught Harry that the year before. Harry smiled at him, seeming to be thinking the same thing.

**except that no sound came out … A large bubble issued from his mouth, and his wand, instead of sending sparks at the grindylows, pelted them with what seemed to be a jet of boiling water, for where it struck them, angry red patches appeared on their green skin. **

"Don't worry about it Harry, that's how the spell is supposed to look underwater," Remus assured him.

**Harry pulled his ankle out of the grindylows grip and swam, as fast as he could, occasionally sending more jets of hot water over his shoulder at random; every now and then he felt one of the grindylows snatch at his foot again, and he kicked out, hard; finally, he felt his** **foot connect with a horned skull, and looking back, saw the dazed grindylow floating away, cross-eyed, while its fellows shook their fists at Harry and sank back into the weed.**

**Harry slowed down a little, slipped his wand back inside his robes, **

"No, keep your wand out," Percy groaned again.

"It's probably easier to swim without the wand in my hand," Harry argued, he could see Percy's point, but he needed to move quickly.

"That is important, but it's also important to keep your defenses up," Sirius said.

**and looked around, listening again. He turned full circle in the water, the silence pressing harder than ever against his eardrums. He knew he must be even deeper in the lake now, but nothing was moving but the rippling weed.**

"**How are you getting on?"**

**Harry thought he was having a heart attack. He whipped around and saw Moaning Myrtle floating hazily in front of him, gazing at him through her thick, pearly glasses.**

"**Myrtle!" Harry tried to shout – but once again, nothing came out of his mouth but a very large bubble. Moaning Myrtle actually giggled.**

"**You want to try over there!" she said, pointing. "I won't come with you … I don't like them much, they always chase me when I get too close …"**

"She's helping you out again," Hermione said.

"It seems like you wouldn't be able to do a damn thing without someone helping you out," Draco commented. "And you probably still think you're not cheating."

"I'm not," Harry said, and Draco rolled his eyes.

**Harry gave her the thumbs-up to show his thanks and set off once more, careful to swim a bit higher over the weed to avoid any more grindylows that might be lurking there.**

**He swam on for what felt like at least twenty minutes. He was passing over vast expanses of black mud now, which swirled murkily as he disturbed the water. **

"Is there something in the black mud?" Harry asked unnerved, wondering about the creatures that could be lurking in there.

"There might bit be something, or it could be like quick sand …" Remus said, "it's best just to stay away from it."

**Then, at long last, he heard a snatch of haunting mersong.**

"_**An hour long you**_**'**_**ll have to look,**_

_**And to recover what we took …"**_

**Harry swam faster and soon saw a large rock emerge out of the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of merpeople on it; they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid. Harry swam on past the rock, following the mersong.**

"… _**your time**_**'**_**s half gone, so tarry not**_

_**Lest what you seek stays here to rot …"**_

**A cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae loomed suddenly out of the gloom on all sides. Here and there at the dark windows, Harry saw faces … faces that bore no resemblance at all to the painting of the mermaid in the prefects' bathroom …**

"Well of course they don't," Sirius said, "really mermaids aren't really something that you'd want to see in paintings, but the fantasied images are quite nice."

**The merpeople had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They leered at Harry as he swam past; one or two of them emerged from their caves to watch him better, their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands.**

"Er … they're not going to attack, are they?" Ginny asked nervous.

"No, if they were going to fight, there's no way any of the champions could get by them," Teddy said. "The colony is too big for that."

**Harry sped on, staring around, and soon the dwellings became more numerous; there were gardens of weed around some of them, and he even saw a pet grindylow tied to a stake outside one door. Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, watching him eagerly, pointing at his webbed hands and gills, talking behind their hands to one another. Harry sped around a corner and a very strange sight met his eyes.**

**A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson.**

**Ron was tied between Hermione **

"What?!" several people gasped.

"What are you doing there?" Duncan demanded.

"Yeah, didn't you promise you're dad that you wouldn't go into the lake earlier in this book," George added.

"I have no idea," Hermione answered her dad, completely ignoring George.

"Isn't it obvious why she's there," Ron said bitterly, gritting his teeth, "there's one person for each champion, and I'm Harry's."

Hermione looked at him stunned as she understood what he was saying, but it didn't make much sense to her. She must be who Viktor Krum would miss most, but she didn't even know the guy and she couldn't imagine becoming so important to him … or that he would be important to her.

Duncan started gritting his teeth too, cursing that stupid Krum in his head, if it wasn't bad enough that he was much too old for his daughter, now he was endangering her and making it so she was dragged into the middle of the lake. A lake with giant squids and monsters and freaky merpeople.

Ron stated reading again, annoyed and worried that Hermione was in the lake too.

**and Cho Chang. **

"Argh," Harry groaned, hearing the name of yet another person he would want to save.

**There was also a girl who looked no older than eight, whose clouds of silvery hair made Harry feel sure that she was Fleur Delacour's sister. All four of them appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept issuing from their mouths.**

"Does that mean they're breathing?" Ginny mused out loud, wondering how they had managed that underwater. When she saw her mum and Hermione's parents shuddered, she wished she hadn't asked that question.

**Harry sped toward the hostages, half expecting the merpeople to lower their spears and charge at him, but they did nothing. The ropes of weed tying the hostages to the statue were thick, slimy, and very strong. For a fleeting second he thought of the knife Sirius had bought him for Christmas – locked in his trunk in the castle a quarter of a mile away, no use to him whatsoever.**

Sirius sighed, he would have liked it if his gift would have helped Harry.

**He looked around. Many of the merpeople surrounding them were carrying spears. He swam swiftly toward a seven-foot-tall merman with a long green beard and a choker of shark fangs and tried to mime a request to borrow the spear. **

"You couldn't pick a less menacing looking merman?" Ron asked his friend.

"Er … they all sound pretty bad to me," Harry shrugged, "I guess I went to the closest one."

"I don't think you should worry about how menacing the merman looks and think about how he's going to react to you asking for his weapon," Bill said, "merpeople aren't really known for their sharing skills."

**The merman laughed and shook his head.**

"Well at least that's better than skewering you with the spear," Fred said.

"**We do not help," he said in a harsh, croaky voice.**

"**Come ON!" Harry said fiercely (but only bubbles issued from his mouth), and he tried to pull the spear away from the merman, but the merman yanked it back, still shaking his head and laughing.**

"You really are rather mad, Harry," Bill said shaking his head, in a normal situation the merperson wouldn't have merely laugh.

"What, I need the spear to help me," Harry complained.

**Harry swirled around, staring about. Something sharp … anything …**

**There were rocks littering the lake bottom. He dived and snatched up a particularly jagged one and returned to the statue. He began to hack at the ropes binding Ron, and after several minutes' hard work, they broke apart. Ron floated, unconscious, a few inches above the lake bottom, drifting a little in the ebb of the water.**

**Harry looked around. There was no sign of any of the other champions. What were they playing at? Why didn't they hurry up?**

"They probably didn't have a ghost telling them exactly where to go," Draco pointed out. "And why the hell are you so worried about them. You should be happy you're winning."

"I don't care about winning," Harry said, looking at Hermione and thinking about Cho.

Ron couldn't help but look at Hermione too and felt that Harry was right to stay to make sure Hermione would be saved as well.

"You're hopeless," Draco said shaking his head.

**He turned back to Hermione, raised the jagged rock, and began to hack at her bindings too –**

**At once, several pairs of strong gray hands seized him. Half a dozen mermen were pulling him away from Hermione, shaking their green-haired heads, and laughing.**

"**You take your own hostage," one of them said to him. "Leave the others …"**

"**No way!" said Harry furiously – but only two large bubbles came out.**

"**Your task is to retrieve your own friend … leave the others …"**

"**She's my friend too!" Harry yelled, gesturing toward Hermione, an enormous silver bubble** **emerging soundlessly from his lips. **

"**You should have cut her free first," Ron said to Harry. **

"**Ron you're …" Hermione started.**

"I wonder if you would have been allowed to cut her free," Tonks said thoughtfully, just as Hermione had started to protest what Ron had said. "I wonder if the merpeople knew which person belonged to each champion."

**"And I don't want them to die either!"**

**Cho's head was on Hermiones shoulder; the small silver-haired girl was ghostly green and pale. Harry struggled to fight off the mermen, but they laughed harder than ever, holding him back. Harry looked wildly around. Where were the other champions? Would he have time to take Ron to the surface and come back down for Hermione and the others? Would he be able to find them again? He looked down at his watch to see how much time was left – it had stopped working.**

**But then the merpeople around him pointed excitedly over his head. Harry looked up and saw Cedric swimming toward them. There was an enormous bubble around his head, which made his features look oddly wide and stretched.**

"**Got lost!" he mouthed, looking panic-stricken. "Fleur and Krum're coming now!"**

"I wonder what he came across in the lake," Neville gulped, wondering why he was panic-stricken.

**Feeling enormously relieved, Harry watched Cedric pull a knife out of his pocket and cut Cho free. He pulled her upward and out of sight.**

**Harry looked around, waiting. Where were Fleur and Krum? Time was getting short, and according to the song, the hostages would be lost after an hour …**

"And you're sure that they person won't be lost after the hour," Duncan said looking pale as he worried about his daughter.

"Positive," Teddy said steadily.

"Why the bloody hell do they have to say that then?" Harry grumbled, sure that he was about to have a nervous breakdown.

"To be more dramatic I guess," Teddy shrugged.

**The merpeople started screeching animatedly. Those holding Harry loosened their grip, staring behind them. Harry turned and saw something monstrous cutting through the water toward them: a human body in swimming trunks with the head of a shark … It was Krum. He appeared to have transfigured himself – but badly.**

"Hmph," Ron couldn't help but huff and be annoyed. Of course he wanted Hermione to get out of the lake, but he didn't like that it was Krum that was doing it.

Duncan was thinking nearly the same thing.

**The shark-man swam straight to Hermione and began snapping and biting at her ropes; the trouble was that Krum's new teeth were positioned very awkwardly for biting anything smaller than a dolphin, and Harry was quite sure that if Krum wasn't careful, he was going to rip Hermione in half. **

"Stupid bloody git," Ron growled, "what the hell does he think he's doing."

"He's trying to recusing Hermione," George said in a teasing voice.

"It doesn't bloody sound like it," Ron snapped at his brother. "To me it doesn't sound like he cares about recusing her at all. He cares only about get out of there quickly."

Duncan nodded his head in agreement with what Ron said, "he could take a minute to figure out how to get Hermione out of there safely but he doesn't seem to be bothering to do that."

**Darting forward Harry hit Krum hard on the shoulder and held up the jagged stone. Krum seized it and began to cut Hermione free. Within seconds, he had done it; he grabbed Hermione around the waist, and without a backward glance, began to rise rapidly with her toward the surface.**

**Now what? Harry thought desperately. If he could be sure that Fleur was coming … But still no sign. There was nothing to be done except …**

**He snatched up the stone, which Krum had dropped, but the mermen now closed in around Ron and the little girl, shaking their heads at him. Harry pulled out his wand.**

"**Get out of the way!"**

**Only bubbles flew out of his mouth, but he had the distinct impression that the mermen had understood him, because they suddenly stopped laughing. Their yellowish eyes were fixed upon Harry's wand, and they looked scared. There might be a lot more of them than there were of him, but Harry could tell, by the looks on their faces, that they knew no more magic than the giant squid did.**

"No, they don't, but that doesn't mean you should take them lightly," Remus said.

"Or that they like having wizards coming into their territory pointing their wands at them," Bill added.

"**You've got until three!" Harry shouted; a great stream of bubbles burst from him, but he held up three fingers to make sure they got the message. "One …" (he put down a finger) "two …" (he put down a second one) – They scattered. **

"Well it looks like everything worked out," Harry said.

"That's probably because the merpeople agreed not to attack any of the champions," Bill said.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Harry asked.

"I can't be," Bill admitted. "But I do know that in most cased merpeople don't like anyone in their territory and they hate being threatened. Obviously they had agreed to assist in this task so it's also makes sense that they would agree not to attack the students at went into the water."

**Harry darted forward and began to hack at the ropes binding the small girl to the statue, and at last she was free. He seized the little girl around the waist, grabbed the neck of Rons robes, and kicked off from the bottom.**

"Of course, drag me by the robes," Ron rolled his eyes, "I'm only the person you're actually supposed to be recusing and all."

"Sorry," Harry said.

"But Harry's thinking of his image here, and it looks much more heroic this way," Fred added.

**It was very slow work. He could no longer use his webbed hands to propel himself forward; he worked his flippers furiously, but Ron and Fleur's sister were like potato-filled sacks dragging him back down … He fixed his eyes skyward, though he knew he must still be very deep, the water above him was so dark …**

**Merpeople were rising with him. He could see them swirling around him with ease, watching him struggle through the water … Would they pull him back down to the depths when the time was up? Did they perhaps eat humans? **

"You think of that now, after you've already threaten them?" Percy said.

"They don't eat humans, do they?" Juliet asked alarmed.

"No," Percy answered.

**Harry's legs were seizing up with the effort to keep swimming; his shoulders were aching horribly with the effort of dragging Ron and the girl …**

**He was drawing breath with extreme difficulty. He could feel pain on the sides of his neck again … he was becoming very aware of how wet the water was in his mouth … **

"**Crap … your time is almost up," Sirius groaned what the others were thinking. **

yet the darkness was definitely thinning now … he could see daylight above him …

**He kicked hard with his flippers and discovered that they were nothing more than feet… water was flooding through his mouth into his lungs … **

"Stop breathing," Sirius shouted at the book, knowing now that the gills were gone it was very bad for Harry to breath in the water.

**he was starting to feel dizzy, but he knew light and air were only ten feet above him … he had to get there … he had to …**

**Harry kicked his legs so hard and fast it felt as though his muscles were screaming in protest; his very brain felt waterlogged, he couldn't breathe, he needed oxygen, he had to keep going, he could not stop –**

**And then he felt his head break the surface of the lake; **

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, the tension they were feeling leaving as soon as Harry surfaced.

**wonderful, cold, clear air was making his wet face sting; he gulped it down, feeling as though he had never breathed properly before, and, panting, pulled Ron and the little girl up with him. All around him, wild, green-haired heads were emerging out of the water with him, but they were smiling at him.**

**The crowd in the stands was making a great deal of noise; shouting and screaming, they all seemed to be on their feet; Harry had the impression they thought that Ron and the little girl might be dead, but they were wrong … both of them had opened their eyes; the girl looked scared and confused, but Ron merely expelled a great spout of water, blinked in the bright light, turned to Harry, and said, "Wet, this, isn't it?"**

"Really Ron, we never would have guessed," George said sarcastically as Ron shrugged and smiled.

**Then he spotted Fleur's sister. "What did you bring her for?"**

"He wanted to look more heroic, I've already told you this," Fred said.

"**Fleur didn't turn up, I couldn't leave her," Harry panted.**

"**Harry, you prat," said Ron, "you didn't take that song thing seriously, did you? **

"You seemed to be fine with me staying down there right now," Harry grumbled, he didn't appreciate being called a prat.

"I didn't have a problem with it," Ron said a little surprised by his own comment. Then again, if Teddy was right, and it definitely seems like it with what he just said, then there was no need for Harry to stay down there.

**Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of us drown!"**

"**The song said -"**

"**It was only to make sure you got back inside the time limit!" said Ron. "I hope you didn't waste time down there acting the hero!"**

Harry frowned.

**Harry felt both stupid and annoyed. **

"By the looks of it, that's how he's feeling right now too," George said.

**It was all very well for Ron; he'd been asleep, he hadn't felt how eerie it was down in the lake, surrounded by spear-carrying merpeople who'd looked more than capable of murder.**

"**C'mon," Harry said shortly, "help me with her, I don't think she can swim very well."**

**They pulled Fleur's sister through the water, back toward the bank where the judges stood watching, twenty merpeople accompanying them like a guard of honor, singing their horrible screechy songs.**

**Harry could see Madam Pomfrey fussing over Hermione, Krum, Cedric, and Cho, all of whom were wrapped in thick blankets.**

**Dumbledore and Ludo Bagman stood beaming at Harry and Ron from the bank as they swam nearer, but Percy, who looked very white and somehow much younger than usual, came splashing out to meet them. **

"Aw Percy going to hug his little Ronniekins," Fred said in a baby voice.

"It looks like Harry wasn't the only one to take this seriously," George added.

"Shut up," both Percy and Ron said at the same time.

**Meanwhile Madame Maxime was trying to restrain Fleur Delacour, who was quite hysterical, fighting tooth and nail to return to the water.**

"Definitely not the only one," George said again.

"They never should have put that in the song, or they shouldn't have taken a person," Juliet said, thinking about how painful it would be to Fleur after the hour had passed and she believe that she had lost her sister forever because she couldn't make it to the mermaids. Even though it wasn't true, there still had to be a lot of mental damage done after that.

"**Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"**

"**She's fine!" Harry tried to tell her, but he was so exhausted he could hardly talk, let alone shout.**

**Percy seized Ron and was dragging him back to the bank ("Gerroff, Percy, I'm all right!"); **

The twins sniggered again at this and Percy's ears turn red but no one said anything.

**Dumbledore and Bagman were pulling Harry upright; Fleur had broken free of Madame Maxime and was hugging her sister.**

"**It was ze grindylows … zey attacked me … oh Gabrielle, I thought … I thought …"**

"**Come here, you," said Madam Pomfrey. She seized Harry and pulled him over to Hermione and the others, wrapped him so tightly in a blanket that he felt as though he were in a straitjacket, and forced a measure of very hot potion down his throat.**

**Steam gushed out of his ears.**

"**Harry, well done!" Hermione cried. "You did it, you found out how all by yourself!"**

"**Well -" said Harry. He would have told her about Dobby, but he had just noticed Karkaroff watching him. He was the only judge who had not left the table; the only judge not showing signs of pleasure and relief that Harry, Ron, and Fleur's sister had got back safely. **

"Probably because he wished you'd have drown in the lake," Sirius said bitterly.

**"Yeah, that's right," said Harry, raising his voice slightly so that Karkaroff could hear him.**

"**You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," said Krum. Harry had the impression that Krum was drawing her attention back onto himself; perhaps to remind her that he had just rescued her from the lake, **

"Of course he probably would have ripped her half it wasn't for Harry, but who cares about such things," Duncan grumbled under his breath so only Juliet could hear him. She just shook her head at her husband's mutterings.

**but Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently and said, "You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry … Did it take you ages to find us?"**

"**No … I found you okay …"**

**Harry's feeling of stupidity was growing. Now he was out of the water, it seemed perfectly clear that Dumbledores safety precautions wouldn't have permitted the death of a hostage just because their champion hadn't turned up. Why hadn't he just grabbed Ron and gone? He would have been first back … Cedric and Krum hadn't wasted time worrying about anyone else; they hadn't taken the mersong seriously …**

"That's because they're pricks," Ron said.

"Ronald," Molly and Hermione said at the same time.

"What?" Ron said, looking at Hermione. "They are."

"Cedric said that Krum and Fleur were behind him," Tonks pointed out, "he had thought they were coming."

"Yeah okay," Ron said, he wasn't really thinking about Cedric anyways. "But Krum didn't care about that … or how his champing at your ropes would affect you, Hermione."

**Dumbledore was crouching at the water's edge, deep in conversation with what seemed to be the chief merperson, a particularly wild and ferocious-looking female. He was making the same sort of screechy noises that the merpeople made when they were above water; clearly, Dumbledore could speak Mermish. Finally he straightened up, turned to his fellow judges, and said, "A conference before we give the marks, I think."**

**The judges went into a huddle. Madam Pomfrey had gone to rescue Ron from Percy's clutches; she led him over to Harry and the others, gave him a blanket and some Pepperup Potion, then went to fetch Fleur and her sister. Fleur had many cuts on her face and arms and her robes were torn, but she didn't seem to care, nor would she allow Madam Pomfrey to clean them.**

"That's kind of unexpected coming from her," Ginny said.

"Is it though," Bill said frowning, "I don't know what I would have been like if I had failed to save you, or any of my brothers."

"**Look after Gabrielle," she told her, and then she turned to Harry. "You saved 'er," she said breathlessly. "Even though she was not your 'ostage."**

"**Yeah," said Harry, who was now heartily wishing he'd left all three girls tied to the statue.**

"Don't think that Harry," Tonks said, "it's not a bad thing to care about people's safety."

"But they would have been safe anyways," Harry said.

**Fleur bent down, kissed Harry twice on each cheek (he felt his face burn and wouldn't have been surprised if steam was coming out of his ears again), then said to Ron, "And you too-you 'elped"**

"**Yeah," said Ron, looking extremely hopeful, "yeah, a bit -"**

**Fleur swooped down on him too and kissed him. Hermione looked simply furious, **

Ron looked at Hermione at that in surprise, but she was looking down at her hands, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Could it be possible that she was jealous of him being kissed … even if Fleur had only kissed his cheek?

**but just then, Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice boomed out beside them, making them all jump, and causing the crowd in the stands to go very quiet.**

"**Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows …**

"**Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."**

**Applause from the stands.**

"**I deserved zero," said Fleur throatily, shaking her magnificent head.**

This too was surprising to Ginny, but she didn't say anything. So far Fleur had been showed to be a cold and annoying, but it was clear that she really cared about her little sister and the thought of failing her as she had, was devastating to her.

"**Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour."**

**Enormous cheers from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd; Harry saw Cho give Cedric a glowing look.**

"**We therefore award him forty-seven points."**

**Harrys heart sank. If Cedric had been outside the time limit, he most certainly had been.**

"That was you're first clue that you were outside the time limit," George said. "Because I would have thought it was when you're gills disappeared."

"**Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."**

**Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.**

"**Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman continued. "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."**

**Ron and Hermione both gave Harry half-exasperated, half-commiserating looks.**

Harry made a face at his friends.

"**Most of the judges," and here, Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However … Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."**

**Harry's stomach leapt – he was now tied for first place with Cedric. Ron and Hermione, caught by surprise, stared at Harry, then laughed and started applauding hard with the rest of the crowd.**

"**There you go. Harry!" Ron shouted over the noise. "You weren't being thick after all – you were showing moral fiber!"**

Several people snorted at that as Harry glared at Ron, who was one of the people laughing.

**Fleur was clapping very hard too, but Krum didn't look happy at all. He attempted to engage Hermione in conversation again, but she was too busy cheering Harry to listen.**

"Good," Ron and Duncan said and Hermione rolled her eyes at them.

"**The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."**

**It was over. Harry thought dazedly, as Madam Pomfrey began herding the champions and hostages back to the castle to get into dry clothes … it was over, he had got through … he didn't have to worry about anything now until June the twenty-fourth …**

**Next time he was in Hogsmeade, Harry decided as he walked back up the stone steps into the castle, he was going to buy Dobby a pair of socks for every day of the year.**

"See, I told you I was going to thank him later," Harry said to Hermione.

"And I'm sure he's going to love this thank you very much," Ron chuckled. "And that's the end of the chapter," he added handing the book to Harry**. **


	29. Padfoot Returns

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Padfoot Returns

"**Padfoot Returns," **Harry read.

"Well this sounds like a good chapter," Sirius said smiling.

**One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ron was getting to share Harry's limelight for once. **

Ron looked at Harry at that thought, wondering if Harry would have even have noticed his own 'limelight' if it wasn't for the fight earlier that year.

**Harry noticed that Ron's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. **

Ron's siblings all rolled their eyes and started smiling at this, Ron was very good at embellishing his stories to make them more dramatic.

**At first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Hermione's story, anyway – Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, **

"It seems like you guys needed to be assured that you'll be safe too," Harry mumbled, "but when I worry about you in being in the lake I'm an idiot."

"We never said that," Hermione said.

"You did in the book," Harry said.

**and would awake when they were back above the water. One week later, however, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up.**

"Who would believe that nonsense," Fred snorted.

"It could have happened," Ron grumbled.

"Right, you can take on fifty merpeople …." Fred said.

"They're not as strong out of the water, and they don't know magic," Ron countered.

"**But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve," he assured Padma Patil, who seemed to be a lot keener on Ron now that he was getting so much attention and was making a point of talking to him every time they passed in the corridors. **

"I guess that answer my question," Fred said shaking his head as Ron puffed out his chest at getting attention.

"You know it sounds like she might actually like you, Ron," George said.

Ron glared at George, who made it sound like it was hard to believe that anyone would like him.

"I meant that she might actually have wanted to go to the Yule Ball with you," George said exasperated. "I try to be nice to you once and you glare at me."

"You think so?" Ron said in disbelief, after all the only reason she had gone with him was because Harry got Parvati to ask her.

"Trust me, if she is making an effort to talk to you after how you treated her at the ball, and she seems to believe this horrible story, she likes," George said.

"Oh," was all Ron had to say to that. He didn't even know Padma, so he couldn't make an argument against what George was saying. He sort of wish he was nicer to her at the ball, it was one thing to ignore a girl that didn't even want to go with you in the first place, and another to do the same with someone that liked you.

Hermione watched Ron throughout this conversation, hating that Ron seemed to be so pleased by another girl giving him so much attention. But that was nothing to how she hated what George said and how Ron seemed to be considering the idea that Padma liked him.

**"I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted."**

"**What were you going to do, snore at them?" said Hermione waspishly. **

This caused several people to snigger.

"Somebody's jealous," Fred said out loud, which caused Hermione to blush and look away from Ron.

Ron, on the other hand, turned to look at Hermione, to see if maybe Fred was right about what he said. She had seemed angry in the last chapter when Fleur had kissed his cheeks, but he couldn't tell how she was feeling now as she wasn't looking at him.

**People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood.**

Ron sighed, that probably was it. She had Viktor Krum after all, why would she care about him.

"It doesn't make any sense," Hermione said, almost to herself.

"What doesn't make sense?" Ginny asked.

"Why would I be Viktor's hostage, he doesn't even know me," Hermione said.

"Maybe you have been spending time with Viktor since the Yule Ball and gotten to know him better," Ginny suggested.

"No way," Duncan exclaimed, which caused Juliet to elbow him and give him a sharp look.

Her dad's outburst made Hermione realized that everyone was listening to her conversation with Ginny and she blushed. She didn't real think that she had spent much time with Viktor since the Yule Ball, because if she had Harry probably would have made note of her being gone more and nothing seemed to have changed in their friendship.

**Ron's ears went red, and thereafter, he reverted to the bewitched sleep version of events.**

**As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The brown owl that Harry had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; Harry had no sooner torn off Sirius's reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again.**

**Sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one.**

_**Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o**_**'**_**clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can.**_

Remus couldn't help but look at his friend. Sirius looked so much better after a few good meals, being able to clean himself off and a good night rest. The reminder to Harry to bring food, made him remember that the Sirius in the book wouldn't have been able to get any of that.

"**He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Ron incredulously.**

"**It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Hermione.**

"**I can't believe him," said Harry tensely, "if he's caught …"**

"**Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said Ron. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."**

**Harry folded up the letter, thinking. If he was honest with himself, he really wanted to see Sirius again. He therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon – double Potions – feeling considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons.**

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Pansy Parkinson's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Harry couldn't see and sniggering heartily. **

"Of course they are," Harry sighed, "it's been over a chapter since the last time they bothered me."

"Who said that this had anything to do with you, Potter," Draco said. "You sure are full of yourself."

"I'm not full of myself if I'm right," Harry rolled his eyes.

**Pansy's pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached.**

"**There they are, there they are!" she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Harry saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands – Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.**

"**You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. **

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat, she didn't like the idea of being the target of whatever it was that had the Slytherins laughing.

**At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside.**

**Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed for a table at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Snape had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of today's potion on the blackboard, Hermione hastily rifled through the magazine under the desk. **

"You should read a magazine in class, Hermione," Juliet said.

"Sorry, Mum," Hermione blushed at being reprimanded by her mum as other sniggered at it.

**At last, in the center pages, Hermione found what they were looking for.**

**Harry and Ron leaned in closer. A color photograph of Harry headed a short piece entitled:**

Harry groaned as he read the title of the article.

_**Harry Potter**_**'**_**s Secret Heartache**_

"Oh no, poor Harry," Fred said in a mock sympathetic voice.

"Shut up," Harry said, his face turning red, embarrassed by this article already and he hadn't even started reading it yet.

**A boy like no other, perhaps – yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss.**

_**Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys**_**' **_**affections. **_

"Bloody hell this is bad," Ron groaned.

"It's embarrassing … but I don't like Hermione like that so …" Harry said looking at Ron, his friend seemed to be really upset about this.

"I don't care about that," Ron said, though that wasn't really true, he did care a great deal that Harry didn't like Hermione like that, but that wasn't his point. "Just think about how everyone is going to react when they heard that Hermione made 'Harry Potter' suffer another emotional blow … and toying with both boys affection …" he went on and looked at Hermione, "they're going to hate you."

"Who cares what they, whoever they are, think," Hermione shrugged.

"She's tarnishing you're reparation," Duncan said unable to hide all of his anger at this article. He hated that his baby girl was being portrayed as a person that would use a guy just to advance herself. Worse was that he agreed with Ron that the masses were going to believe what was written about her.

"Anyone who knows me won't believe this," Hermione said, "I don't care what other people think, especially if they're going to judge me from an article like this."

Duncan nodded his head, his little girl has grown into a strong woman that has become confident in herself and knew what was important to her. He was very proud.

"Why do you have to say 'Harry Potter' like that," Harry asked, as Ron had said his name oddly.

"There are a lot of people out there that have no idea who you are other than The-Boy-Who-Lived. I know you hate that," Ron quickly added, "but they're going to instantly believe all this rubbish and think that Hermione is some sort of … er … Scarlet woman …"

"Excuse me," Hermione laughed, "Scarlet woman?"

Ron turned red.

_**Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has **_**"**_**never felt this way about any other girl.**_**"**

_**However, it might not be Miss Granger**_**'**_**s doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys**_**' **_**interest.**_

"_**She**_**'**_**s really ugly,**_**" **_**says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, **_**"**_**but she**_**'**_**d be well up to making a Love Potion, she**_**'**_**s quite brainy. I think that**_**'**_**s how she**_**'**_**s doing it.**_**"**

"See … they're trying to make you sound bad …" Ron said, glaring at the book. It was ridiculous of him to believe that Hermione would ever need a Love Potion to make someone like her.

"You mean like a scarlet woman," Hermione asked, her eyes actually twinkling in amusement.

"How can you find this funny, Hermione, this is serious?" Ron grumbled.

"Because it's so ridiculous," Hermione said, "how can I take it seriously."

"So you think I'm ridiculous for taking this seriously," Ron asked defensively.

"No," Hermione said quickly, "it means a lot to me that you're worrying about me, Ron. I doubt I'd be able to take all of this so well if you believed what this article said."

"Oh," was all Ron had to say to that.

**Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate.**

"**I told you!" Ron hissed at Hermione as she stared down at the article. "I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of – of scarlet woman!"**

Hermione couldn't help but smiling again at his term.

**Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. "Scarlet woman?" she repeated, shaking with suppressed giggles as she looked around at Ron.**

"**It's what my mum calls them," Ron muttered, his ears going red.**

"**If that's the best Rita can do, she's losing her touch," said Hermione, still giggling, as she threw Witch Weekly onto the empty chair beside her. "What a pile of old rubbish."**

"A pile of old rubbish or not, that woman should not have written an article like that," Juliet said hotly, she too was proud of the way her daughter was handling being slandered like she was, but she still hated the article itself. "How can a grown woman think about slamming a fifteen year old girl's reparation like this just because you had the nerve to stand up to her. That vindictive witch!"

"Calm down, dear," Duncan said halfheartedly, agreeing with everything she said.

**She looked over at the Slytherins, who were all watching her and Harry closely across the room to see if they had been upset by the article. Hermione gave them a sarcastic smile and a wave, and she, Harry, and Ron started unpacking the ingredients they would need for their Wit-Sharpening Potion.**

"**There's something funny, though," said Hermione ten minutes later, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles. "How could Rita Skeeter have known …?"**

"**Known what?" said Ron quickly. "You haven't been mixing up Love Potions, have you?"**

"Well there goes him believing in you," Fred said laughing.

Hermione expression fell at that.

"I know she didn't," Ron protested.

"**Don't be stupid," Hermione snapped, starting to pound up her beetles again. **

"I think you made her angry, Ronnie," Fred continued to teased.

**"No, it's just … how did she know Viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?"**

"You will not be visiting him!" Duncan said in alarm. There was no way that Hermione was going to go to Bulgaria to meet with this man …

Ron couldn't help but think that he rather believe that Hermione used some kind of love potion than having been invited to stay with Vicky.

**Hermione blushed scarlet as she said this and determinedly avoided Ron's eyes.**

"**What?" said Ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk.**

"Somebody's jealous," Fred said and this time it was Ron's turn to blush.

"**He asked me right after he'd pulled me out of the lake," Hermione muttered. "After he'd got rid of his shark's head. Madam Pomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me away from the judges so they wouldn't hear, and he said, if I wasn't doing anything over the summer, would I like to –"**

"**And what did you say?" said Ron, who had picked up his pestle and was grinding it on the desk, a good six inches from his bowl, because he was looking at Hermione.**

This caused his siblings to laugh and Ron just wished they would shut up.

"**And he did say he'd never felt the same way about anyone else," Hermione went on, going so red now that Harry could almost feel the heat coming from her, **

Duncan glared daggers at the book, he wasn't sure if he would be more angry at this Viktor Krum if he actually meant what he said to his daughter and was becoming much more serious than Hermione needed (in his opinion), or if he was just using a line on Hermione to get her to like him more.

**"but how could Rita Skeeter have heard him? She wasn't there … or was she? Maybe she has got an Invisibility Cloak; maybe she sneaked onto the grounds to watch the second task …"**

"**And what did you say?" Ron repeated, pounding his pestle down so hard that it dented the desk.**

"**Well, I was too busy seeing whether you and Harry were okay to –"**

"It doesn't matter what she said, she won't be going," Duncan insisted, though he was glad that Hermione hadn't answer … that she was more concern in his friends. Hopeful it meant that she wasn't falling for Krum's lines, real or not.

"Duncan stop," Juliet warned him as Hermione glared at her father. "If you continue to be this strict it's only going to push her to do the opposite."

Duncan frowned, Juliet had a point, Hermione hated being told what to do, and more important want she can't do.

"**Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is Miss Granger," said an icy voice right behind them, and all three of them jumped, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."**

**Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them; Malfoy took the opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS across the dungeon at Harry.**

"Oh that's very clever Malfoy, you sure got me there," Harry rolled his eyes at Draco.

"**Ah … reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. "A further ten points from Gryffindor … oh but of course …" Snapes black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article. "Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings …"**

**The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. To Harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud.**

"What?" Sirius exclaimed in rage as Harry groaned, he was sure this was going to make everything a whole lot worse.

"He's going to read the article out loud," Draco said with a smirk, he could always count on Snape to make things worse for Potter.

"'**Harry Potter's Secret Heartache … dear, dear. Potter, what's ailing you now? 'A boy like no other, perhaps …'"**

**Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. **

"How can he do that?!" Juliet asked, her temper starting to build up again. She had not been impressed by this teacher the last time when he had belittled Hermione and he was just getting worse the more they read about him. To pick on students this way, to make them the laughing stock in front of their piers or rivals was a horrible way to abuse his position as a teacher.

"Because he's a bastard!" Sirius said gritting his teeth. Unlike Juliet, he had a good idea why Snape went so far out of his way to make fun of Harry, and he hated Snape more because of it. The jerk couldn't ever let anything go, and now he was talking out everything that James and he had done to Snape during their school years on Harry.

**The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.**

"'… **Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.' How very touching," sneered Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins. "Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter – that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."**

**Furious, Harry threw his ingredients and his bag into his cauldron and dragged it up to the front of the dungeon to the empty table. Snape followed, sat down at his desk and watched Harry unload his cauldron. Determined not to look at Snape, Harry resumed the mashing of his scarab beetles, imagining each one to have Snape's face.**

"If only it could really have been him," Sirius said bitterly.

"**All this press attention seems to have inflated your already over-large head Potter," said Snape quietly, once the rest of the class had settled down again. Harry didn't answer. He knew Snape was trying to provoke him; he had done this before. No doubt he was hoping for an excuse to take a round fifty points from Gryffindor before the end of the class.**

"**You might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you," Snape went on, so quietly that no one else could hear him (Harry continued to pound his scarab beetles, even though he had already reduced them to a very fine powder), "but I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him."**

Sirius started growling at the book and everyone looked angry at what Snape was saying to Harry, well except for Draco, who was trying hard not to laugh. He loved hearing Snape lay into Harry, because there was nothing Harry could do to stop it.

**Harry tipped the powdered beetles into his cauldron and started cutting up his ginger roots. His hands were shaking slightly out of anger, but he kept his eyes down, as though he couldn't hear what Snape was saying to him.**

"**So I give you fair warning, Potter," Snape continued in a sorter and more dangerous voice, "pint-sized celebrity or not – if I catch you breaking into my office one more time –"**

"**I haven't been anywhere near your office!" said Harry angrily, forgetting his feigned deafness.**

"**Don't lie to me," Snape hissed, his fathomless black eyes boring into Harrys. "Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them."**

**Harry stared back at Snape, determined not to blink or to look guilty. In truth, he hadn't stolen either of these things from Snape. Hermione had taken the boomslang skin back in their second year – they had needed it for the Polyjuice Potion – **

"I still can't believe that you did that," Fred said looking at Hermione impressed.

**and while Snape had suspected Harry at the time, he had never been able to prove it. Dobby, of course, had stolen the gillyweed.**

"**I don't know what you're talking about," Harry lied coldly.**

"You would have done better to stay silent," Ron told him, "you're not a very good liar."

"**You were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!" Snape hissed. "I know it Potter! Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior! One more nighttime stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!"**

"Of course that's when he thinks that happened," Tonks said, that made sense, but she couldn't help but think that it had been Crouch in Snape's office. It made her uncomfortable, like she was missing something obvious here but she didn't know what it was.

"**Right," said Harry coolly, turning back to his ginger roots. "I'll bear that in mind if I ever get the urge to go in there."**

"That's right Harry, keep up that attitude," Sirius said, glad that his godson wasn't let Snape walk all over him.

**Snape's eyes flashed. He plunged a hand into the inside of his black robes. For one wild moment. Harry thought Snape was about to pull out his wand and curse him – then he saw that Snape had drawn out a small crystal bottle of a completely clear potion. Harry stared at it.**

"**Do you know what this is Potter?" Snape said, his eyes glittering dangerously again.**

"**No," said Harry, with complete honesty this time.**

"**It is Veritaserum – a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear," said Snape viciously. "Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips" – he shook the crystal bottle slightly – "right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then Potter … then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not."**

"He's threatening you!" Sirius growled, his hands balled into fist. "If I could only get my hands on him …"

"And this is acceptable behavior in a professor at Hogwarts?" Duncan question, looking appalled by this as well. The more he heard about some of things about Hermione's school, the more uncomfortable he because about her going there.

**Harry said nothing. He turned back to his ginger roots once more, picked up his knife, and started slicing them again. He didn't like the sound of that Truth Potion at all, nor would he put it past Snape to slip him some. He repressed a shudder at the thought of what might come spilling out of his mouth if Snape did it … quite apart from landing a whole lot of people in trouble – Hermione and Dobby for a start – there were all the other things he was concealing … like the ****fact that he was in contact with Sirius … and – his insides squirmed at the thought – how he felt about Cho … **

"It's nice to hear that the girl you like is something you worried about just as much as concealing the fact you're in contact was Sirius," George laughed.

"Shut up," Harry grumbled.

"Veritaserum doesn't actually work like that," Remus said, "you won't be spilling out your secrets at random. It just makes you answer any question that you're asked truthfully."

**He tipped his ginger roots into the cauldron too, and wondered whether he ought to take a leaf out of Moody s book and start drinking only from a private hip flask.**

"That might be a good idea for the time being," Fred agreed.

**There was a knock on the dungeon door.**

"**Enter," said Snape in his usual voice.**

**The class looked around as the door opened. Professor Karkaroff came in. Everyone watched him as he walked up toward Snape's desk. He was twisting his finger around his goatee and looking agitated.**

"**We need to talk," said Karkaroff abruptly when he had reached Snape. He seemed so determined that nobody should hear what he was saying that he was barely opening his lips; it was as though he were a rather poor ventriloquist. Harry kept his eyes on his ginger roots, listening hard.**

"So the first thing you do when you see that someone doesn't want to be heard, is try to eavesdrop on them," George laughed. "Tsk tsk."

Harry ignored him as he continued to read.

"**I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff," Snape muttered, but Karkaroff interrupted him.**

"**I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus. You've been avoiding me."**

"**After the lesson," Snape snapped.**

**Under the pretext of holding up a measuring cup to see if he'd poured out enough armadillo bile, Harry sneaked a sidelong glance at the pair of them. **

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that was believable," Fred said sarcastically.

**Karkaroff looked extremely worried, and Snape looked angry.**

"I wonder what Karkaroff is worried about?" Arthur frowned.

"I'm more curiously about why he's going to Snape with his worries," Tonks said.

**Karkaroff hovered behind Snape's desk for the rest of the double period. He seemed intent on preventing Snape from slipping away at the end of class. Keen to hear what Karkaroff wanted to say, Harry deliberately knocked over his bottle of armadillo bile with two minutes to go to the bell, which gave him an excuse to duck down behind his cauldron and mop up while the rest of the class moved noisily toward the door.**

"Harry," Hermione shook her head, she knew that he was curious and she did want to know what Snape and Karkaroff were talking about but he was really pushing his luck this time.

Harry ignored her as well.

"**What's so urgent?" he heard Snape hiss at Karkaroff.**

"**This," said Karkaroff, and Harry, peering around the edge of his cauldron, saw Karkaroff pull up the left-hand sleeve of his robe and show Snape something on his inner forearm.**

"Er … why is he doing that?" Ron asked, but he didn't get an answer. Everyone looked thoughtful and grim.

"**Well?" said Karkaroff, still making every effort not to move his lips. "Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since –"**

"**Put it away!" snarled Snape, his black eyes sweeping the classroom.**

"**But you must have noticed –" Karkaroff began in an agitated voice.**

"**We can talk later, Karkaroff!" spat Snape. "Potter! What are you doing?"**

"Eavesdropping," Fred said in his impression of Harry.

"**Clearing up my armadillo bile, Professor," said Harry innocently, straightening up and showing Snape the sodden rag he was holding.**

**Karkaroff turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon. He looked both worried and angry. Not wanting to remain alone with an exceptionally angry Snape, Harry threw his books and ingredients back into his bag and left at top speed to tell Ron and Hermione what he had just witnessed.**

**They left the castle at noon the next day to find a weak silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade, all three of them had taken off their cloaks and thrown them over their shoulders. The food Sirius had told them to bring was in Harry's bag; they had sneaked a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of pumpkin juice from the lunch table.**

**They went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy a present for Dobby, where they had fun selecting the most lurid socks they could find, including a pair patterned with flashing gold and silver stars, and another that screamed loudly when they became too smelly. **

"Those will probably be a waste on Dobby, I can't see him allowing his precious socks from getting too smelly," George chuckled.

**Then, at half past one, they made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out toward the edge of the village.**

**Harry had never been in this direction before. **

"Well it is outside of the touristy part of Hogsmeade, so most students don't go there," Arthur said.

"Are we allowed to be there?" Hermione asked.

"It's not out of bounds," Arthur said.

**The winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around Hogsmeade. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger; they were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. Then they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. Waiting for them, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar …**

"**Hello, Sirius," said Harry when they had reached him.**

"You shouldn't be calling out Sirius name like that, Harry," Fred said in a mock reproachful voice. "Anyone can hear you."

"It doesn't sound like there's anyone near us," Harry said defensively.

**The black dog sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, then turned and began to trot away from them across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain. Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed over the stile and followed.**

**Sirius led them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. It was easy for him, with his four paws, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione were soon out of breath. They followed Sirius higher, up onto the mountain itself. For nearly half an hour they climbed a steep, winding, and stony path, following Sirius's wagging tail, sweating in the sun, the shoulder straps of Harry's bag cutting into his shoulders.**

"Where are you taking us, Sirius?" Harry asked.

"No idea, I've actually never been in the mountain before," Sirius said, thinking about all the time that he had spent in Hogsmeade (mostly thinking about the times when he sneak out with his friends) and they had never gone near the mountain. Even when he was hiding the last year he hadn't gone into the mountains, though now that he thought of it, it was probably a better place for him to go than staying as a dog the whole time and sleeping at random places.

**Then, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when they reached the place where he had vanished, they saw a narrow fissure in the rock. They squeezed into it and found themselves in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, was Buckbeak the hippogriff. Half gray horse, half giant eagle, Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashed at the sight of them. All three of them bowed low to him, and after regarding them imperiously for a moment, Buckbeak bent his scaly front knees and allowed Hermione to rush forward and stroke his feathery neck. Harry, however, was looking at the black dog, which had just turned into his godfather.**

**Sirius was wearing ragged gray robes; the same ones he had been wearing when he had left Azkaban. **

"Couldn't you found something better to wear?" Tonks asked him.

"At least I'm not still wearing that now," Sirius said. "I never really had time to care about that when I was on the run."

**His black hair was longer than it had been when he had appeared in the fire, and it was untidy and matted once more. He looked very thin.**

"Stop looking at me like that," Sirius complained as he noticed everyone was giving him sad looks at his appearance. He loved attention, but not when it was because of something like this. Still, he wondered how worried he was about Harry and this new form of danger that was threatening him.

"**Chicken!" he said hoarsely after removing the old Daily Prophets from his mouth and throwing them down onto the cave floor.**

**Harry pulled open his bag and handed over the bundle of chicken legs and bread.**

"**Thanks," said Sirius, opening it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth. "I've been living off rats mostly. **

Sirius made a face at that, he had more than his share of rats the last year, and he didn't really like the thought of having to continue living that way. It didn't help at all that he's been eating nicely since he got here and the thought of going back to rats …

"You eat rats," Harry turned to Sirius looking miserable.

"Please don't hold that against me," Sirius said, trying to make this a joke. When Harry expression didn't change he said, "don't worry about it Harry, it's not as bad as it sounds."

Harry couldn't understand how eating rats wasn't as bad as it sounded but he didn't argue.

**Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself." He grinned up at Harry, but Harry returned the grin only reluctantly.**

"**What're you doing here, Sirius?" he said.**

"**Fulfilling my duty as godfather," said Sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way. **

"And obviously getting a good meal out of it too," Fred said.

**"Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray." He was still grinning, but seeing the anxiety in Harry's face, **

"I think I know what that face looks like," Sirius said, it was the same expression Harry seem to have as he read.

**said more seriously, "I want to be on the spot. Your last letter … well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried."**

**He nodded at the yellowing Daily Prophets on the cave floor, and Ron picked them up and unfolded them. Harry, however, continued to stare at Sirius.**

"**What if they catch you? What if you're seen?"**

"**You three and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus," said Sirius, shrugging, and continuing to devour the chicken leg.**

**Ron nudged Harry and passed him the Daily Prophets. There were two: The first bore the headline Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch, the second, Ministry Witch Still Missing-Minister of Magic Now Personally Involved.**

**Harry scanned the story about Crouch. Phrases jumped out at him: hasn't been seen in public since November … house appears deserted … St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment … Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness …**

Percy looked more and more worried the more Harry read. What was keeping Crouch so ill? And if he was missing for this long, why had he been in Snape's office a few weeks ago?

"**They're making it sound like he's dying," said Harry slowly. "But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here …"**

"**My brothers Crouch's personal assistant," Ron informed Sirius. "He says Crouch is suffering from overwork."**

"It sounds more serious than that," Percy was the one to say, actually disagreeing with what he seemed to be saying in the book. I'm probably the one that's overworked, he thought knowing that he would push himself harder in a situation like this.

"**Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close," said Harry slowly, still reading the story. "The night my name came out of the goblet …"**

"Hm …" Tonks frowned when she heard that, it was around that time that Crouch started acting differently, described differently. And with this mystery, that was very suspicious.

"**Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" said Hermione, an edge to her voice. She was stroking Buckbeak, who was crunching up Sirius's chicken bones. "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now – bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."**

"I doubt he's even thinking about Winky," Ron rolled his eyes.

"Well except for the fact that she's not there to pick up after him," Fred added.

Hermione glared at the both of them.

"**Hermione's obsessed with house-elfs," Ron muttered to Sirius, casting Hermione a dark look. Sirius, however, looked interested.**

"**Crouch sacked his house-elf?"**

"**Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup," said Harry, and he launched into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance, and Winky being found with Harrys wand clutched in her hand, and Mr. Crouch's fury. When Harry had finished, Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave.**

"**Let me get this straight," he said after a while, brandishing a fresh chicken leg. "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?"**

"**Right," said Harry, Ron, and Hermione together.**

"**But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"**

"**No," said Harry. "I think he said he'd been too busy."**

"Too busy doing what?" Tonks couldn't help but saying, put the way that Sirius just had, it seemed really suspicious that Crouch wasn't there. There wasn't an answer to this but almost everyone was thinking about what he had been doing.

**Sirius paced all around the cave in silence. Then he said, "Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"**

"You think my wand was taken in the Top Box?" Harry asked, looking alarmed.

"I don't know Harry," Sirius said. "But you can't rule out anything."

"**Erm …" Harry thought hard. "No," he said finally. "I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars."**

**He stared at Sirius. "Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole my wand in the Top Box?"**

"**It's possible," said Sirius.**

"**Winky didn't steal that wand!" Hermione insisted.**

"You actually don't know that Hermione," George said, "she could have easily stolen the wand."

"She didn't conjure the Dark Mark!" Hermione hissed.

"Well that's a completely different matter," George said, "she could have given it to her master so that he could be free to use the new wand to make the mark."

"That's completely ridiculous, George," Percy snapped at his brother. "Mr. Crouch would never order his elf to steal a wand!"

"You never know," George shrugged.

"**The elf wasn't the only one in that box," said Sirius, his brow furrowed as he continued to pace.**

"**Who else was sitting behind you?"**

"**Loads of people," said Harry. "Some Bulgarian ministers … Cornelius Fudge … the Malfoys…"**

"**The Malfoys!" said Ron suddenly, so loudly that his voice echoed all around the cave, and Buckbeak tossed his head nervously. "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"**

"Idiot," Draco rolled his eyes, as if they would resort to stealing a wand like that.

"Oh yes, it must be the Malfoys!" Fred said excitedly, "it's always Malfoy's fault."

"**Anyone else?" said Sirius.**

"**No one," said Harry.**

"**Yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman," Hermione reminded him.**

"Are you trying to say you think Bagman did it?" Ron asked.

"No, I'm just pointing out that he was there," Hermione said.

"**Oh yeah …"**

"**I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps," said Sirius, still pacing. "What's he like?"**

"**He's okay," said Harry. "He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament."**

"**Does he, now?" said Sirius, frowning more deeply. "I wonder why he'd do that?"**

"**Says he's taken a liking to me," said Harry.**

"**Hmm," said Sirius, looking thoughtful.**

"Yeah, that is suspiciously," George said. "Why would anyone take a liking to you, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes before he started reading.

"**We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared," Hermione told Sirius.** "**Remember?" she said to Harry and Ron.**

"Are you sure you're not trying to blame him?" Ron asked again.

"I'm just stating facts," Hermione said stiffly.

"**Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?" said Ron. "The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite."**

"**How d'you know?" Hermione shot back. "How d'you know where he Disapparated to?"**

"**Come off it," said Ron incredulously. "Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"**

"**It's more likely he did it than Winky," said Hermione stubbornly.**

Ron rolled his eyes, "I didn't even mention Winky."

"**Told you," said Ron, looking meaningfully at Sirius, "told you she's obsessed with house -"**

**But Sirius held up a hand to silence Ron.**

"**When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"**

"**Went to look in the bushes," said Harry, "but there wasn't anyone else there."**

"**Of course," Sirius muttered, pacing up and down, "of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf … and then he sacked her?"**

"**Yes," said Hermione in a heated voice, "he sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled – "**

"**Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!" said Ron.**

**Sirius shook his head and said, "She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."**

"That interesting, because if I judge you by the way you treat Kreacher …" Remus started to say.

"That's different," Sirius snapped, his expression darkened.

Teddy looked at Sirius sadly, thinking about all that he heard about the relationship between Kreacher and Sirius. He knew that that was a situation that he was going to have to deal with later on because this wasn't an issue that would be resolved easily.

**He ran a hand over his unshaven face, evidently thinking hard.**

"**All these absences of Barty Crouch's … he goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too …. It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak."**

"**D'you know Crouch, then?" said Harry.**

**Sirius's face darkened. He suddenly looked as menacing as he had the night when Harry first met him, the night when Harry still believed Sirius to be a murderer.**

Everyone's thoughts went to what Sirius had told them earlier about what Crouch did to him and they couldn't blame Sirius for his reaction in the least.

"**Oh I know Crouch all right," he said quietly. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban – without a trial."**

"**What?" said Ron and Hermione together.**

"**You're kidding!" said Harry.**

"**No, I'm not," said Sirius, taking another great bite of chicken. "Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione shook their heads.**

"**He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic," said Sirius. **

"Well most of the heads from that department are since that is the biggest department in the Ministry," Percy said pompously.

**"He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical – and power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter," he said, reading the look on Harrys face. "No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side … well, you wouldn't understand … you're too young …"**

"**That's what my dad said at the World Cup," said Ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice. "Try us, why don't you?"**

**A grin flashed across Sirius's thin face.**

"**All right, I'll try you …" **

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Molly said, in her opinion they were still too young for this, and also for a lot of other things they were already dealing with.

**He walked once up the cave, back again, and then said, "Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. **

"No please, I'd rather not imagine that," Ginny said.

Well unfortunately that's going to happen a lot sooner than you all think, Teddy couldn't help but think grimly.

**You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing … the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere … panic … confusion … that's how it used to be.**

Harry paused there thinking about what Sirius had just described. He had been through a lot in his last three years at Hogwarts, but listening to what it was like while Voldemort was in power seemed to make a lot worse.

"**Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning - I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemorts supporters. The Aurors were given new powers – powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. **

"Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose?" Duncan wondered, he never liked the idea of fighting violence with violence. It seemed to him that all that led to was more pain for everyone.

"You heard what Sirius just said," Arthur said with a heavy sighed. "There's a good chance if we hadn't resorted to means like that we would have lost the war …"

**I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. **

"Hmph," Percy said, he couldn't see his boss as being like that.

"It wasn't as bad as that," Arthur piped in too, though Crouch had been a lot more ruthless than he was now.

"Well sorry if I can't think of him that way," Sirius said darkly.

**He had his supporters, mind you – plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened …" Sirius smiled grimly. "Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."**

Neville eyes widen, he couldn't help but think about what happened to his parents … Several of the adults in the room gave him a look and he knew that he was right. Crouch's son was one of the people that had been there when his parents were …

"**Crouch's son was caught?" gasped Hermione.**

"**Yep," said Sirius, throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak, flinging himself back down on the ground beside the loaf of bread, and tearing it in half. "Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd imagine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while … gotten to know his own son."**

**He began to wolf down large pieces of bread.**

"**Was his son a Death Eater?" said Harry.**

"**No idea," said Sirius, still stuffing down bread. **

"What do you mean you don't know?" Neville asked sharply, making the people he was sitting near jump.

"I was already in Azkaban," Sirius answered with an understanding look.

"Was he innocent?" Neville demanded, looking at Remus.

"I don't know, Neville," Remus said. "There was no evidence that he was part of any of the other Death Eaters attack before the war … but he was definitely there and he had no reason to be in the area …"

Neville nodded his head, overcome with angry.

**"I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters – but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf."**

"**Did Crouch try and get his son off?" Hermione whispered.**

**Sirius let out a laugh that was much more like a bark.**

"**Crouch let his son off? I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again – doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy … then he sent him straight to Azkaban."**

"If he's guilty than he should send him to Azkaban!" Neville stated coldly, his eyes showing no mercy whatsoever.

Harry was sort of feeling bad for Crouch's son, getting thrown to the dementors without his father trying to help him in the least. But Neville did have a point, if the son was guilty it was a good thing that his dad didn't try to pull strings and get him off, because that would mean a dangerous Death Eater would be on the loose. He also had a feeling by the way Neville was reacting that this had something to do with Neville's parents.

"**He gave his own son to the dementors?" asked Harry quietly.**

"**That's right," said Sirius, and he didn't look remotely amused now. "I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though … they all went quiet in the end … except when they shrieked in their sleep …"**

There was a haunted look in Sirius eyes as he thought about this and everyone else couldn't help but be disturbed by what they heard.

**For a moment, the deadened look in Sirius's eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though ****shutters had closed behind them.**

"**So he's still in Azkaban?" Harry said.**

"**No," said Sirius dully. "No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in."**

"**He died?"**

"**He wasn't the only one," said Sirius bitterly. "Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. **

"That's sick," Hermione said.

**That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his sons body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it."**

**Sirius threw aside the bread he had just lifted to his mouth and instead picked up the flask of pumpkin juice and drained it.**

"**So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made," he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic … next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray.**

"Aren't the Crouchs purebloods," Tonks said shrewdly.

"What's you're point," Percy said to her stiffly.

"It wasn't too far astray for someone in a pureblood family to go over to Voldemort," Tonks said.

"Maybe in the beginning Tonks, but You-Know-Who had long since passed the line that made him acceptable to the masses," Arthur said.

**The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."**

**There was a long silence. Harry was thinking of the way Crouch's eyes had bulged as he'd looked down at his disobedient house-elf back in the wood at the Quidditch World Cup. This, then, must have been why Crouch had overreacted to Winky being found beneath the Dark Mark. It had brought back memories of his son, and the old scandal, and his fall from grace at the Ministry.**

"That doesn't excuse his behavior," Hermione grumbled.

"**Moody says Crouch is obsessed with cat****ching Dark wizards," Harry told Sirius.**

"**Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him," said Sirius, nodding. "If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater."**

"That's stupid," Ron said, "unless he catches You-Know-Who himself, no ones going to care about just any Death Eater."

"Oh they'll probably care, but you're right that it wouldn't bring back his popularity," Arthur said.

"**And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!" said Ron triumphantly, looking at Hermione.**

"**Yes, and that doesn't make sense at all," said Sirius.**

"**Yeah, it does!" said Ron excitedly, but Sirius shook his head.**

"**Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."**

"**So you think Snape could be up to something, then?" asked Harry, but Hermione broke in.**

"Always," Sirius answered.

"**Look, I don't care what you say, Dumbledore trusts Snape -"**

"**Oh give it a rest, Hermione," said Ron impatiently. "I know Dumbledore's brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him –"**

"**Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then? Why didn't he just let him die?"**

"He saved you?" Sirius asked Harry.

"Well yeah, sort of," Harry answered. "Quirrell was cursing my broom and Snape was saying the counter-curse."

"Hmph," Sirius huffed, it would make it a lot easier for him not to know that Snape had done that, not wanting to be grateful to that jerk, but he couldn't help but being so now.

"**I dunno – maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out-"**

"**What d'you think, Sirius?" Harry said loudly, and Ron and Hermione stopped bickering to listen.**

"**I think they've both got a point," said Sirius, looking thoughtfully at Ron and Hermione. "Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was," Sirius added, and Harry and Ron grinned at each other. "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters."**

**Sirius held up his fingers and began ticking off names.**

"**Rosier and Wilkes - they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges – they're a married couple – they're in Azkaban. **

Neville started to grit his teeth, starting to get even more angry than he already was.

**Avery – from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse – he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater – not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."**

"**Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet," said Ron.**

"**Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!" said Harry quickly. "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was."**

"**He showed Snape something on his arm?" said Sirius, looking frankly bewildered. He ran his fingers distractedly through his filthy hair, then shrugged again. "Well, I've no idea what that's ****about … but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers …"**

**Sirius stared at the cave wall, then made a grimace of frustration.**

"**There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort."**

Well you're wrong, Teddy thought.

"**Why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape's office then?" said Ron stubbornly.**

"**Well," said Sirius slowly, "I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts. He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters. Crouch, though … he's a different matter … is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not … what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up in the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?"**

**Sirius lapsed into silence, still staring at the cave wall. Buckbeak was ferreting around on the rocky floor, looking for bones he might have overlooked. Finally, Sirius looked up at Ron.**

"**You say your brother is Crouch's personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?"**

"**I can try," said Ron doubtfully. "Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch."**

Percy had a feeling that he wasn't going to respond will to Ron asking him about Crouch no matter how he put it. He wouldn't really understand why Ron would care about Crouch.

"**And you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it," said Sirius, gesturing to the second copy of the Daily Prophet.**

"**Bagman told me they hadn't," said Harry.**

"**Yes, he's quoted in the article in there," said Sirius, nodding at the paper. "Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all – quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic … maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long …"**

**Sirius heaved an enormous sigh and rubbed his shadowed eyes.**

"**What's the time?"**

**Harry checked his watch, then remembered it hadn't been working since it had spent over an hour in the lake.**

"**It's half past three," said Hermione.**

"**You'd better get back to school," Sirius said, getting to his feet. "Now listen …" He looked particularly hard at Harry. "I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not to go leaving ****Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you."**

"I thought I didn't have to worry about outside attacks this year, only the ones in the tournament," Harry said.

"**No one's tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows," Harry said, but Sirius scowled at him.**

"**I don't care … I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay?"**

"Yeah, not yelling out Sirius like you did before," George reprimanded Harry.

**He handed Harry the empty napkin and flask and went to pat Buckbeak good-bye.**

"**I'll walk to the edge of the village with you," said Sirius, "see if I can scrounge another paper."**

**He transformed into the great black dog before they left the cave, and they walked back down the mountainside with him, across the boulder-strewn ground, and back to the stile. Here he allowed each of them to pat him on the head, **

Fred and George sniggered, it just seemed so normal and yet odd to pat Sirius head while he's a dog.

**before turning and setting off at a run around the outskirts of the village. Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way back into Hogsmeade and up toward Hogwarts.**

"**Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron said as they walked up the drive to the castle. "But maybe he doesn't care … It'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."**

"**Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors," said Hermione severely.**

"**I don't know," said Ron. "If he thought we were standing in the way of his career … Percy's really ambitious, you know …"**

Percy looked hurt by what Ron said. "My career and ambitions are important but it's not all I care about."

"I know," Ron said feeling bad.

**They walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall, where the delicious smells of dinner wafted toward them from the Great Hall.**

"**Poor old Snuffles," said Ron, breathing deeply. "He must really like you, Harry… Imagine having to live off rats."**

"That's the end of the chapter," Harry said as he thought about what Ron said. He didn't care if Sirius said it wasn't as bad as he said it sounded, it was still bad enough.


	30. The Madness of Mr Crouch

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: So I think I'm getting more into my writing and I'll be updating twice a week until the end of this book.  
**

**Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty

The Madness of Mr. Crouch

Neville took the book from Harry and read, **"The Madness of Mr. Crouch."**

"Madness!" Percy exclaimed. "What do you mean madness?! Mr. Crouch can't be mad."

Neville couldn't really answer that and he didn't want to think too hard about people being mad, so he started reading again.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Owlery after breakfast on Sunday to send a letter to Percy, asking, as Sirius had suggested, whether he had seen Mr. Crouch lately. They used Hedwig, because it had been so long since she'd had a job. When they had watched her fly out of sight through the Owlery window, they proceeded down to the kitchen to give Dobby his new socks.**

**The house-elves gave them a very cheery welcome, bowing and curtsying and bustling around making tea again. **

Hermione frowned at the description of the elves reaction to them being there. She really needed to do something about this, but she hadn't got a good idea yet … at least nothing that was different than what happened in the book and that didn't seem to be working.

**Dobby was ecstatic about his present.**

"**Harry Potter is too good to Dobby!" he squeaked, wiping large tears out of his enormous eyes.**

"**You saved my life with that gillyweed, Dobby, you really did," said Harry.**

"**No chance of more of those eclairs, is there?" said Ron, who was looking around at the beaming and bowing house-elves.**

Hermione shot Ron an annoyed looked and he smiled back at her. "I must be hungry."

"**You've just had breakfast!" said Hermione irritably, but a great silver platter of eclairs was already zooming toward them, supported by four elves.**

"**We should get some stuff to send up to Snuffles," Harry muttered.**

"I'm really glad you found the kitchen," Sirius said, who like the idea of eating anything Harry could send him more than eating rats.

"**Good idea," said Ron. "Give Pig something to do. You couldn't give us a bit of extra food, could you?" he said to the surrounding elves, and they bowed delightedly and hurried off to get some more.**

"It's so sad," Hermione sighed.

"It said they were delighted," Ron pointed out. "How is that sad?"

"It's just …" Hermione said searching for the right words, "it just is."

"**Dobby, where's Winky?" said Hermione, who was looking around.**

"**Winky is over there by the fire, miss," said Dobby quietly, his ears drooping slightly.**

"**Oh dear," said Hermione as she spotted Winky.**

**Harry looked over at the fireplace too. Winky was sitting on the same stool as last time, but she had allowed herself to become so filthy that she was not immediately distinguishable from the smoke-blackened brick behind her. Her clothes were ragged and unwashed. She was clutching a bottle of butterbeer and swaying slightly on her stool, staring into the fire. As they watched her, she gave an enormous hiccup.**

"Okay, now that is sad," Ron said frowning, "do you think she could ever get better?"

"She gets better," Teddy answer sadly, "but she's never really … herself again."

"**Winky is getting through six bottles a day now," Dobby whispered to Harry.**

"**Well, it's not strong, that stuff," Harry said.**

**But Dobby shook his head. "'Tis strong for a house-elf, sir," he said.**

"Well that makes sense considering how small a house elf is to a person," Duncan mumbled wondering how much six bottles would comparatively speaking.

**Winky hiccuped again. The elves who had brought the eclairs gave her disapproving looks as they returned to work.**

"**Winky is pining, Harry Potter," Dobby whispered sadly. "Winky wants to go home. Winky still thinks Mr. Crouch is her master, sir, and nothing Dobby says will persuade her that Professor Dumbledore is her master now."**

"**Hey, Winky," said Harry, struck by a sudden inspiration, walking over to her, and bending down, "you don't know what Mr. Crouch might be up to, do you? Because he's stopped turning up to judge the Triwizard Tournament."**

"Harry do you think it's a good idea to question her," Hermione said in a disapproving voice.

"Er …" Harry wasn't sure how to answer that, because he thought it was a good source to question, but he knew that wasn't why Hermione was protesting.

**Winky's eyes flickered. Her enormous pupils focused on Harry. She swayed slightly again and then said, "M – Master is stopped – hic – coming?"**

"**Yeah," said Harry, "we haven't seen him since the first task. The Daily Prophet's saying he's ill."**

**Winky swayed some more, staring blurrily at Harry.**

"**Master- hic- ill?"**

**Her bottom lip began to tremble.**

"Harry you're just going to make her feel worst," Hermione sighed.

"**But we're not sure if that's true," said Hermione quickly.**

"**Master is needing his – his – Winky!" whimpered the elf. "Master cannot – hic – manage – hic – all by himself …"**

"You know I wouldn't have thought that was true of Crouch, but he really has seemed to fall apart without his Winky," Fred commented and Percy and Hermione glared at him.

"Mr. Crouch doesn't need a house-elf to survive," Percy said stiffly.

"Well clearly he needs something because he's about to go mad," Fred went on and Percy glare turn murderous but before he could argue any more Neville started reading again.

"**Other people manage to do their own housework, you know, Winky," Hermione said severely.**

"**Winky – hic – is not only – hic – doing housework for Mr. Crouch!" Winky squeaked indignantly, swaying worse than ever and slopping butterbeer down her already heavily stained blouse. "Master is – hic – trusting Winky with – hic – the most important – hic – the most secret …"**

"**What?" said Harry.**

"Oh Harry, don't say what then!" Sirius groaned. "Don't you know that people close up when they realized that they're about to tell you something they know they shouldn't. But if you keep them talking you might get something interesting out of them."

**But Winky shook her head very hard, spilling more butterbeer down herself.**

"**Winky keeps – hic – her master's secrets," she said mutinously, swaying very heavily now, frowning up at Harry with her eyes crossed. "You is – hic – nosing, you is."**

"Well even drunk she can see the obvious," George said, "you is nosing, Harry."

"Whatever," Harry rolled his eyes at him.

"**Winky must not talk like that to Harry Potter!" said Dobby angrily. "Harry Potter is brave and noble and Harry Potter is not nosy!"**

"And Dobby obviously has his blinders on," Fred said. "He can't see anything bad in you."

"**He is nosing - hic - into my master's - hic - private and secret - hic - Winky is a good house-elf- hic - Winky keeps her silence - hic - people trying to - hic – pry and poke - hic -"**

**Winky's eyelids drooped and suddenly, without warning, she slid off her stool into the hearth, snoring loudly. **

"She fell asleep just like that," Ginny said a little shocked. "She was in the middle of a speech."

"Six bottles really must be a lot of alcohol," George said.

**The empty bottle of butterbeer rolled away across the stone-flagged floor. Half a dozen house-elves came hurrying forward, looking disgusted. One of them picked up the bottle; the others covered Winky with a large checked tablecloth and tucked the ends in neatly, hiding her from view.**

"They're just going to hide her," Hermione said looking scandalized.

"**We is sorry you had to see that, sirs and miss!" squeaked a nearby elf, shaking his head and looking very ashamed. "We is hoping you will not judge us all by Winky, sirs and miss!"**

Hermione was even more horrified by this comment. It was horrible that the elves felt like they had to hide something like this and that they were ashamed that Winky was showing her misery.

"**She's unhappy!" said Hermione, exasperated. "Why don't you try and cheer her up instead of covering her up?"**

"**Begging your pardon, miss," said the house-elf, bowing deeply again, "but house-elves has no right to be unhappy when there is work to be done and masters to be served."**

"Hurry up and read on Neville, it looks like Hermione is about to blow!" Fred said as Hermione glared daggers at the book.

"**Oh for heaven's sake!" Hermione cried. "Listen to me, all of you! You've got just as much right as wizards to be unhappy! You've got the right to wages and holidays and proper clothes, you ****don't have to do everything you're told – look at Dobby!"**

"**Miss will please keep Dobby out of this," Dobby mumbled, looking scared. **

"He's not so brave when he's put on the spot," George chuckled.

"Well I don't think Dobby was trying to start a revolution when he got freed," Ron pointed out, "he just wanted to get out of the horrible house he was in."

Draco rolled his eyes when Ron looked at him. He's mansion was wonderful and they were better off with this ridiculous elf. Especially since he was such a Potter lover.

**The cheery smiles had vanished from the faces of the house-elves around the kitchen. They were suddenly looking at Hermione as though she were mad and dangerous.**

Hermione groaned at that. Why wouldn't the elves listen to her? Couldn't they see that she was trying to make their lives better?

"They don't like to be bossed around anymore than anyone else," Ron pointed out. "Er … actually the love being bossed around … um … but they don't like … er … being told how to live …" Ron had started out slowly and finished strongly glad he thought of something.

"I'm not telling them how to live!" Hermione argued and Ron raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief. Before either of them could say anything Neville started reading again.

"**We has your extra food!" squeaked an elf at Harry's elbow, and he shoved a large ham, a dozen cakes, and some fruit into Harry's arms. "Good-bye!"**

**The house-elves crowded around Harry, Ron, and Hermione and began shunting them out of the kitchen, many little hands pushing in the smalls of their backs.**

"Wow!" Fred said, "That's impressive. I've never seen the elves act so pushy before, and I've been in the kitchen thousands of times."

"**Thank you for the socks, Harry Potter!" Dobby called miserably from the hearth, where he was standing next to the lumpy tablecloth that was Winky.**

"**You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you, Hermione?" said Ron angrily as the kitchen door slammed shut behind them. "They won't want us visiting them now! We could've tried to get more stuff out of Winky about Crouch!"**

"**Oh as if you care about that!" scoffed Hermione. "You only like coming down here for the food!"**

Ron's siblings sniggered at that and Ron couldn't really think of an argument to that.

**It was an irritable sort of day after that. Harry got so tired of Ron and Hermione sniping at each other over their homework in the common room that he took Sirius's food up to the Owlery that evening on his own.**

"I would have thought you'd be used to them sniping at each other by now," Fred said to Harry with a grin.

"I am, but it's still annoying," Harry said tiredly as Ron and Hermione made faces at him.

**Pigwidgeon was much too small to carry an entire ham up to the mountain by himself, so Harry enlisted the help of two school screech owls as well. **

"A package with three owls … well no one is going to find that suspicious," George said sarcastically.

**When they had set off into the dusk, looking extremely odd carrying the large package between ****them **

"That's what I'm talking about," George said. "And it can't look any better that the owls will be flying into the mountains near Hogsmeade."

**Harry leaned on the windowsill, looking out at the grounds, at the dark, rustling treetops of the Forbidden Forest, and the rippling sails of the Durmstrang ship. An eagle owl flew through the coil of smoke rising from Hagrids chimney; it soared toward the castle, around the Owlery, and out of sight. Looking down, Harry saw Hagrid digging energetically in front of his cabin. Harry wondered what he was doing; it looked as though he were making a new vegetable patch. As he watched, Madame Maxime emerged from the Beauxbatons carriage and walked over to Hagrid. She appeared to be trying to engage him in conversation. Hagrid leaned upon his spade, but did not seem keen to prolong their talk, because Madame Maxime returned to the carriage shortly afterward.**

"He must still be angry with her because of the ball and the article," Ginny started the obvious sadly; she had thought it was cute that Hagrid was so taken by the other half giant.

"Well of course he is, he shared an important moment with her and she just shut him out," Ron said. "I wouldn't forgive her either."

"He did share a lot, but he should understand that it was hard on her too to talk about this subject," Remus said.

"I wonder if he thought Madame Maxime talked to Skeeter about his mother," Bill said with a frown. "As far as he knew she was the only one that heard him and the time of the article suggested that she might have said something."

"I doubt she would …" Remus started to say.

"Oh I don't think she did either," Bill cut him off, "but Hagrid might."

**Unwilling to go back to Gryffindor Tower and listen to Ron and Hermione snarling at each other, Harry watched Hagrid digging until the darkness swallowed him and the owls around Harry began to awake, swooshing past him into the night. By breakfast the next day Ron's and Hermione's bad moods had burnt out, and to Harrys relief, Ron's dark predictions that the house-elves would send substandard food up to the Gryffindor table because Hermione had insulted them proved false; the bacon, eggs, and kippers were quite as good as usual.**

"Oh the elves take too much pride in their work to send up substandard food," Fred said.

**When the post owls arrived, Hermione looked up eagerly; she seemed to be expecting something.**

"**Percy won't've had time to answer yet," said Ron. "We only sent Hedwig yesterday."**

"**No, it's not that," said Hermione. "I've taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. I'm getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins."**

Draco frowned at that.

"I think Draky is disappointed about that," George said, "you're taking away half of his teasing martial by getting the Prophet yourself."

"**Good thinking!" said Harry, also looking up at the owls. "Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck -"**

**A gray owl was soaring down toward Hermione.**

"**It hasn't got a newspaper, though," she said, looking disappointed. "It's -"**

**But to her bewilderment, the gray owl landed in front of her plate, closely followed by four barn owls, a brown owl, and a tawny.**

"Why are you getting so much post?" Ron asked looking wary.

"I don't know," Hermione was looking confused. "Usually I only get post from my parents … and that's only after I write them."

Duncan and Juliet couldn't help but frown at this; it was a little hard for them that they couldn't contact their daughter without and owl, which was an extremely odd why of sending post.

"You could always send a letter by muggle post and it will be sorted out magically and it will get to the owl post," Arthur said, reading the expression on the Grangers' faces.

"We can?" Duncan asked surprised and Arthur nodded his head.

"I didn't know that," Hermione said, she remembered going to the owl post in third year and reading about what they offered there and it didn't say anything about getting muggle post.

"Er … well it's not that's written down," Arthur explained.

Hermione frowned, it annoyed her that there were so many things about the wizarding world that you couldn't learn on your own, you had to be told someone and they take that information for granted.

"**How many subscriptions did you take out?" said Harry, **

"Honestly Harry, they're not all newspapers," Hermione said exasperated.

**seizing Hermione's goblet before it was knocked over by the cluster of owls, all of whom were jostling close to her, trying to deliver their own letter first.**

"**What on earth -?" Hermione said, taking the letter from the gray owl, opening it, and starting to read. "Oh really!" she sputtered, going rather red.**

"Oooh … that sounds interesting," the twins said in a sing song voice together.

"**What's up?" said Ron.**

"**It's – oh how ridiculous –"**

**She thrust the letter at Harry, who saw that it was not handwritten, but composed from pasted letters that seemed to have been cut out of the Daily Prophet.**

**YOU ARE A WICKED GIRL. HARRY POTTER DESERVES BETTER. GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM MUGGLE.**

"It's hate mail," Ron groaned, "I told you that article was bad."

"Please," Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's writing cut out from the prophet … I'm not going to take that seriously."

"**They're all like it!" said Hermione desperately, opening one letter after another. "'Harry Potter can do much better than the likes of you … ' 'You deserve to be boiled in frog spawn … ' Ouch!"**

**She had opened the last envelope, and yellowish-green liquid smelling strongly of petrol gushed over her hands, which began to erupt in large yellow boils.**

Hermione couldn't help but winching at that.

"Shouldn't the post office make sure that curses aren't sent by letters?!" Juliet asked alarmed that her daughter was hurt by opening a little.

"Er … well, the truth is that most of our post doesn't go through the owl post, as post wizards have their own owls," Arthur said.

"**Undiluted bubotuber pus!" said Ron, picking up the envelope gingerly and sniffing it.**

"**Ow!" said Hermione, tears starting in her eyes as she tried to rub the pus off her hands with a napkin, but her fingers were now so thickly covered in painful sores that it looked as though she were wearing a pair of thick, knobbly gloves.**

"**You'd better get up to the hospital wing," said Harry as the owls around Hermione took flight. "We'll tell Professor Sprout where you've gone …"**

"Aw she doesn't have to go to the hospital to ditch Herbology since you're already wearing gloves for it," George said.

"Oh ha ha, very funny," Hermione said sarcastically.

"**I warned her!" said Ron as Hermione hurried out of the Great Hall, cradling her hands. "I warned her not to annoy Rita Skeeter! Look at this one …" He read out one of the letters Hermione had left behind: "'I read In Witch Weekly about how you are playing Harry Potter false and that boy has had enough hardship and I will be sending you a curse by next post as soon as I can find a big enough envelope.' Blimey, she'd better watch out for herself."**

"Aw, Ronniekins is showing his sensitive, caring side," Fred said in a baby voice.

"Shut it!" Ron growled at him, his ears turning red.

**Hermione didn't turn up for Herbology. As Harry and Ron left the greenhouse for their Care of Magical Creatures class, they saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle descending the stone steps of the castle. Pansy Parkinson was whispering and giggling behind them with her gang of Slytherin girls. Catching sight of Harry, Pansy called, "Potter, have you split up with your girlfriend? Why was she so upset at breakfast?"**

**Harry ignored her; he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much trouble the Witch Weekly article had caused.**

"Well seeing as Hermione had to ditch a class and hasn't shown up for this lesson yet, I'm pretty sure that Perkinson knows the trouble it's causing Hermione," Tonks pointed out.

"Well I'm not about to add fuel to the fire," Harry shrugged.

**Hagrid, who had told them last lesson that they had finished with unicorns, was waiting for them outside his cabin with a fresh supply of open crates at his feet. Harry's heart sank at the sight of the crates – surely not another skrewt hatching? – **

Everyone that still went to Hogwarts groaned at the idea of more skrewts.

**but when he got near enough to see inside, he found himself looking at a number of flurry black creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously flat, like spades, and they were blinking up at the class, looking politely puzzled at all the attention.**

"That sounds a lot better than skrewts," Ron said in a breath of relief.

"**These're nifflers," said Hagrid, when the class had gathered around. "Yeh find 'em down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff … There yeh go, look."**

**One of the nifflers had suddenly leapt up and attempted to bite Pansy Parkinson's watch off her wrist. She shrieked and jumped backward.**

"Instant karma," Ginny said as she giggled and Hermione smirked.

"**Useful little treasure detectors," said Hagrid happily. "Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?" He pointed at the large patch of freshly turned earth Harry had watched him digging from the Owlery window. "I've buried some gold coins. I've got a prize fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up most. Jus' take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, an get ready ter set 'em loose."**

**Harry took off his watch, which he was only wearing out of habit, as it didn't work anymore, and stuffed it into his pocket. **

"Harry it's about a week since the last task, why are you still wearing your broken watch?" Tonks asked him.

"Out of habit, apparently," Harry shrugged.

**Then he picked up a niffler. It put its long snout in Harry's ear and sniffed enthusiastically. **

"I wonder why it was sniffing in there, I doubt there's anything valuable in your head," Draco said.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Harry asked him. "It wasn't very good."

**It was really quite cuddly.**

"**Hang on," said Hagrid, looking down into the crate, "there's a spare niffler here … who's missin? Where's Hermione?"**

"**She had to go to the hospital wing," said Ron.**

"**We'll explain later," Harry muttered; Pansy Parkinson was listening.**

Hermione was just grateful that it was Care of magical Creatures and not Potions that she was missing, because Snape probably would have made some snarky comment and Hagrid would just let it go.

**It was easily the most fun they had ever had in Care of Magical Creatures. **

"You mean it was more fun than being dragged around by skrewts!" Fred gasped.

"No, that can't be!" George added in the same sarcastic tone.

**The nifflers dived in and out of the patch of earth as though it were water, each scurrying back to the student who had released it and spitting gold into their hands. Ron's was particularly efficient; it had soon filled his lap with coins.**

"Awesome," Ron said smiling, "we should get one of this."

"No way, imagine what a niffler would do to our house," Molly exclaimed.

"**Can you buy these as pets, Hagrid?" he asked excitedly as his niffler dived back into the soil, splattering his robes.**

"**Yer mum wouldn' be happy, Ron," said Hagrid, grinning. **

"It seems Hagrid knows you, dear," Arthur said amused as Molly was grumblingly about the mess the niffler would make.

**"They wreck houses, nifflers. I reckon they've nearly got the lot, now," he added, pacing around the patch of earth while the nifflers continued to dive. "I on'y buried a hundred coins. Oh there y'are, Hermione!"**

"Where did Hagrid get a hundred coins?" Ron mused, that seemed like more than Hagrid would normally have.

**Hermione was walking toward them across the lawn. Her hands were very heavily bandaged and she looked miserable. Pansy Parkinson was watching her beadily.**

"Stupid cow," Hermione grumbled under her breath.

"**Well, let's check how yeh've done!" said Hagrid. "Count yer coins! An' there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle," he added, his beetle-black eyes narrowed. "It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours."**

"Leprechaun's gold disappears?" Ron gasped.

"Yes," Bill answered him.

"Well that makes the Irish mascots a lot less exciting," Ron said, thinking of the world cup.

**Goyle emptied his pockets, looking extremely sulky. It turned out that Ron's niffler had been most successful, so Hagrid gave him an enormous slab of Honeydukes chocolate for a prize. **

Ron grinned, it was too bad about the gold, but chocolate was definitely a nice prize.

**The bell rang across the grounds for lunch; the rest of the class set off back to the castle, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed behind to help Hagrid put the nifflers back in their boxes. Harry noticed Madame Maxime watching them out other carriage window.**

"**What yeh done ter your hands, Hermione?" said Hagrid, looking concerned.**

"Oh she decided that it would be cool to decorate them in white bandages to make a fashion statement," Fred smirked as Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

**Hermione told him about the hate mail she had received that morning, and the envelope full of bubotuber pus.**

"**Aaah, don worry," said Hagrid gendy, looking down at her. "I got some o' those letters an all, after Rita Skeeter wrote abou me mum. 'Yeh're a monster an yeh should be put down.' 'Yer mother killed innocent people an if you had any decency you'd jump in a lake.'"**

"Bloody hell! They said all that!" Ron gasped. "Well it's no wonder was so upset for so long."

"It's horrible," Hermione agreed sadly, poor sensitive Hagrid would take hearing all this hard.

"**No!" said Hermione, looking shocked.**

"**Yeah," said Hagrid, heaving the niffler crates over by his cabin wall. "They're jus' nutters, Hermione. Don' open 'em if yeh get any more. Chuck 'em straigh' in the fire."**

"That's good advice," Bill agreed, "you can't be hurt if you throw them away."

"**You missed a really good lesson," Harry told Hermione as they headed back toward the castle. "They're good, nifflers, aren't they, Ron?"**

"Oh sure, rub it in Harry," George said in an imitation of Hermione. "I just had to miss a good lesson."

**Ron, however, was frowning at the chocolate Hagrid had given him. He looked thoroughly put out about something.**

Ron was more shocked then anyone about this reaction, he was actually wishing that he could have the chocolate that he won right now.

"**What's the matter?" said Harry. "Wrong flavor?"**

"**No," said Ron shortly. "Why didn't you tell me about the gold?"**

Ron furrowed his brows, still not sure what was going on, though he was closer to understanding his attitude now.

"**What gold?" said Harry.**

"**The gold I gave you at the Quidditch World Cup," said Ron. "The leprechaun gold I gave you for my Omnioculars. In the Top Box. Why didn't you tell me it disappeared?"**

**Harry had to think for a moment before he realized what Ron was talking about.**

"**Oh …" he said, the memory coming back to him at last. "I dunno … I never noticed it had gone. I was more worried about my wand, wasn't I?"**

Ron couldn't help but being annoyed by that reply. He wished it didn't matter, but it did bother him that Harry didn't even notice ten Galleons from disappearing when that would have been more money than he ever had.

**They climbed the steps into the entrance hall and went into the Great Hall for lunch.**

"**Must be nice," Ron said abruptly, when they had sat down and started serving themselves roast beef and Yorkshire puddings. "To have so much money you don't notice if a pocketful of Galleons goes missing."**

Harry shifted uncomfortably, he really didn't like the money issue between him and Ron either, but there wasn't really anything he could do or say to make it better.

"**Listen, I had other stuff on my mind that night!" said Harry impatiently. "We all did, remember?"**

"**I didn't know leprechaun gold vanishes," Ron muttered. "I thought I was paying you back. You shouldn't've given me that Chudley Cannon hat for Christmas."**

"**Forget it, all right?" said Harry.**

"Yeah the shop owner was probably giving away the Cannon's hat for free anyways," Fred teased. He and George didn't really like being poor any more than the rest of their family, but that was more because they couldn't buy the proper supplies than anything else.

**Ron speared a roast potato on the end of his fork, glaring at it. Then he said, "I hate being poor."**

Arthur sagged in his seat, he hated that he wasn't able to give his children more things.

**Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Neither of them really knew what to say.**

"**It's rubbish," said Ron, still glaring down at his potato. "I don't blame Fred and George for trying to make some extra money. Wish I could. Wish I had a niffler."**

"**Well, we know what to get you next Christmas," said Hermione brightly. Then, when Ron continued to look gloomy, she said, "Come on, Ron, it could be worse. At least your fingers aren't full of pus." Hermione was having a lot of difficulty managing her knife and fork, her fingers were so stiff and swollen. "I hate that Skeeter woman!" she burst out savagely. "I'll get her back for this if it's the last thing I do!"**

Fred started laughing manically.

"Why are you laughing like that?" Hermione asked in a defensive tone, she definitely meant what she said.

"I just thought after a statement like that there needed to be a crackle to go along with it," Fred said cheerfully. "I didn't realized you were so melodramatic, Hermione."

**Hate mail continued to arrive for Hermione over the following week, and although she followed Hagrid's advice and stopped opening it, several of her ill-wishers sent Howlers, which exploded at the Gryffindor table and shrieked insults at her for the whole Hall to hear. **

Hermione couldn't help but groaning at that.

**Even those people who didn't read Witch Weekly knew all about the supposed Harry-Krum-Hermione triangle now. Harry was getting sick of telling people that Hermione wasn't his girlfriend.**

"You should get a button like the Potter Stinks one that says she's not your girlfriend," George suggested. "Then you could just point at it when someone asked you that."

Harry couldn't help but laughing at that, there was no way he would do that but it would have been a quicker way to deal with people.

"**It'll die down, though," he told Hermione, "if we just ignore it … People got bored with that stuff she wrote about me last time."**

"Hey Harry, you're starting to sound like Hermione now," Ron chuckled. "She's the one that's always telling us to ignore stuff."

"**I want to know how she's listening into private conversations when she's supposed to be banned from the grounds!" said Hermione angrily.**

"And it looks like she's ignoring you as much as we ignore her," he continued cheerfully.

**Hermione hung back in their next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson to ask Professor Moody something. The rest of the class was very eager to leave; Moody had given them such a rigorous test of hex-deflection that many of them were nursing small injuries. Harry had such a bad case of Twitchy Ears, he had to hold his hands clamped over them as he walked away from the class.**

"**Well, Rita's definitely not using an Invisibility Cloak!" Hermione panted five minutes later, catching up with Harry and Ron in the entrance hall and pulling Harry's hand away from one of his wiggling ears so that he could hear her. "Moody says he didn't see her anywhere near the judges' table at the second task, or anywhere near the lake!"**

"Can Moody see Disillusionment Charm?" Bill wondered. "Is that the same principle as the invisibility cloak or is it a different way completely to make something invisible."

"Moody's never mentioned it," Tonks said, "but aren't a lot of invisible cloaks made with the Disillusionment Charm?"

"Good point," Bill agreed, "I supposed it's not likely that she's using that charm either. I am curious by how she is able to get that information without anyone from noticing her."

"**Hermione, is there any point in telling you to drop this?" said Ron.**

"**No!" said Hermione stubbornly. "I want to know how she heard me talking to Viktor! And how she found out about Hagrids mum!"**

"**Maybe she had you bugged," said Harry.**

"**Bugged?" said Ron blankly. "What … put fleas on her or something?"**

Harry, the Grangers, Tonks and Teddy laughed at that.

"That's not funny … you have no idea how bad fleas could be," Sirius said trying to look serious, but he started laughing too before he could finished.

"Do you feel like we're missing the joke?" Fred asked George.

**Harry started explaining about hidden microphones and recording equipment. Ron was fascinated, but Hermione interrupted them.**

"Er … that didn't really help be understand what was so funny?" Ron muttered.

"**Aren't you two ever going to read Hogwarts, A History?"**

"**What's the point?" said Ron. "You know it by heart, we can just ask you."**

Hermione made a face at Ron as he laughed.

"**All those substitutes for magic Muggles use – electricity, computers, and radar, and all those things – they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there's too much magic in the air. No, Rita's using magic to eavesdrop, she must be … If I could just find out what it is … ooh, if it's illegal, I'll have her …"**

"**Haven't we got enough to worry about?" Ron asked her. "Do we have to start a vendetta against Rita Skeeter as well?"**

"Oh Ron, don't be a spoil sport, vendettas are really fun," George said.

"**I'm not asking you to help!" Hermione snapped. "I'll do it on my own!"**

**She marched back up the marble staircase without a backward glance. Harry was quite sure she was going to the library.**

Hermione glared at everyone that laughed at Harry's thought.

"Hermione, I'm not so sure it's such a good idea to research Rita Skeeter," Duncan frowned.

"I just want to find out how she's eavesdropping on everyone," Hermione said defensively.

"No you're not," Duncan disagreed with her. "Ron was right, you're making it a personal vendetta and I don't think that's healthy."

Hermione looked hurt by what her dad just said and the disappointment that seemed to be in his voice.

"**What's the betting she comes back with a box of I Hate Rita Skeeter badges?" said Ron.**

**Hermione, however, did not ask Harry and Ron to help her pursue vengeance against Rita Skeeter, for which they were both grateful, because their workload was mounting ever higher in the days before the Easter holidays. Harry frankly marveled at the fact that Hermione could research magical methods of eavesdropping as well as everything else they had to do. **

"Really?" Ron said in disbelief. "This is the same girl that took thirteen classes last year and got a hundred and thirteen percent in all of them."

"I didn't get a hundred and thirteen percent," Hermione disagreed, though she was flattered by what he had said, but she was still somber and thoughtful after what her dad said. Was it really such a bad thing that she was going after Skeeter? She was a horrible woman that was hurting her friends, wouldn't it be a good thing if she found a way to stop Skeeter from doing that.

**He was working flat-out just to get through all their homework, though he made a point of sending regular food packages up to the cave in the mountain for Sirius; after last summer, Harry had not forgotten what it felt like to be continually hungry. **

Harry shifted as everyone looked at him. He was thinking about what he was going through right now.

**He enclosed notes to Sirius, telling him that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and that ****they were still waiting for an answer from Percy.**

**Hedwig didn't return until the end of the Easter holidays. Percy's letter was enclosed in a package of Easter eggs that Mrs. Weasley had sent. Both Harrys and Ron's were the size of dragon eggs and full of homemade toffee. Hermiones, however, was smaller than a chicken egg. Her face fell when she saw it.**

"**Your mum doesn't read Witch Weekly, by any chance, does she, Ron?" she asked quietly.**

"**Yeah," said Ron, whose mouth was full of toffee. "Gets it for the recipes."**

**Hermione looked sadly at her tiny egg.**

Molly blushed as it was obvious that she the article about Hermione. She got several looks, the Grangers seemed to be rather annoyed at the fact and Hermione's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Hermione mumbled back, though it was rather disappointing that Ron's mum believed what the article said about her.

"**Don't you want to see what Percy's written?" Harry asked her hastily.**

**Percys letter was short and irritated.**

"That sounds about right," Fred commented.

**As I am constantly telling the Daily Prophet, Mr. Crouch is taking a well-deserved break. He is sending in regular owls with instructions. No, I haven****'****t actually seen him, but I think I can be trusted to know my own superior****'****s handwriting. I have quite enough to do at the moment without trying to quash these ridiculous rumors.**

**Please don****'****t bother me again unless it****'****s something important. Happy Easter.**

"Well that was bloody useless," Ron rolled his eyes.

**The start of the summer term would normally have meant that Harry was training hard for the last Quidditch match of the season. This year, however, it was the third and final task in the Triwizard Tournament for which he needed to prepare, but he still didn't know what he would have to do. Finally, in the last week of May, Professor McGonagall held him back in Transfiguration.**

"**You are to go down to the Quidditch field tonight at nine o'clock. Potter," she told him. "Mr. Bagman will be there to tell the champions about the third task."**

**So at half past eight that night. Harry left Ron and Hermione in Gryffindor Tower and went downstairs. As he crossed the entrance hall, Cedric came up from the Hufflepuff common room.**

"**What d'you reckon it's going to be?" he asked Harry as they went together down the stone steps, out into the cloudy night. "Fleur keeps going on about underground tunnels; she reckons we've got to find treasure."**

"That sounds like a task I'd enjoy doing," Bill said, it was very close to what he did in his job.

"**That wouldn't be too bad," said Harry, thinking that he would simply ask Hagrid for a niffler to do the job for him.**

A few people chuckled at Harry's thought, though no one figured the last task was going to be that simple.

**They walked down the dark lawn to the Quidditch stadium, turned through a gap in the stands, and walked out onto the field.**

"**What've they done to it?" Cedric said indignantly, stopping dead.**

All the Quidditch players shifted at the question; having a feeling they weren't going to like what happened either.

**The Quidditch field was no longer smooth and flat. It looked as though somebody had been building long, low walls all over it that twisted and crisscrossed in every direction.**

"That's horrible!" Fred made a face. "Couldn't they have done this somewhere besides the Quidditch pitch?!"

"Can't they get rid all of that with the wave of their wand?" Duncan asked hesitantly.

"I would imagine so," Arthur answered. "I think the Quidditch Pitch will be able to go back to normal before you guys will play there again."

"**They're hedges!" said Harry, bending to examine the nearest one.**

"**Hello there!" called a cheery voice.**

**Ludo Bagman was standing in the middle of the field with Krum and Fleur. Harry and Cedric made their way toward them, climbing over the hedges. Fleur beamed at Harry as he came nearer. Her attitude toward him had changed completely since he had saved her sister from the lake.**

"It seems sort of shallow that it would take you doing something for her to make her have a higher opinion of you," Ginny commented, her voice slightly annoyed.

"Well it's not like she had any reason to like Harry before then," Percy said.

"Hey!" Harry protested.

"I meant from her point of view you cheated to get into which lowered her odds to win it herself," Percy explained.

"**Well, what d'you think?" said Bagman happily as Harry and Cedric climbed over the last hedge. "Growing nicely, aren't they? Give them a month and Hagrid'll have them twenty feet high. Don't worry," he added, grinning, spotting the less than - happy expressions on Harry's and Cedric's faces, "you'll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over! **

"Okay, I guess you're right, Dad," Fred said. "I can like the hedges now."

**Now, I imagine you can guess what we're making here?"**

**No one spoke for a moment. Then -**

"**Maze," grunted Krum.**

"**That's right!" said Bagman. "A maze. The third task's really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks."**

"Is that all," Harry said looking slightly relieved. After the first two task, this didn't sound so bad.

"**We semply 'ave to get through the maze?" said Fleur.**

"**There will be obstacles," said Bagman happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Hagrid is providing a number of creatures … **

"Okay … then there'll definitely be a lot of dangerous things in the maze," Sirius said, not really liking the sound of that.

**then there will be spells that must be broken … all that sort of thing, you know. Now, the champions who are leading on points will get a head start into the maze." Bagman grinned at Harry and Cedric. "Then Mr. Krum will enter … then Miss Delacour. But you'll all be in with a fighting chance, depending how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?"**

"This seems to make the first two task sort of useless don't you think," Ginny said.

"Why?" Harry asked her.

"Well sure they give you a head start Harry, but the fact that you did so well is sort of is diminished," she started to explained. "The fact that you did well on them won't help the judges think that you should win."

"Maybe not," Harry shrugged. "But at least the last task isn't something that I can't figure out … I feel more comfortable trying to get through a maze than a dragon."

"Not to mention, this time Karkaroff can't tank Harry's score so Krum looks better," Ron added bitterly.

"That's a good point," Ginny admitted.

**Harry, who knew only too well the kind of creatures that Hagrid was likely to provide for an event like this, thought it was unlikely to be any fun at all. However, he nodded politely like the other champions.**

"I like the way you think, Harry," Sirius smiled at his godson.

"**Very well … if you haven't got any questions, we'll go back up to the castle, shall we, it's a bit chilly …"**

**Bagman hurried alongside Harry as they began to wend their way out of the growing maze. Harry had the feeling that Bagman was going to start offering to help him again, but just then, Krum tapped Harry on the shoulder.**

"**Could I haff a vord?"**

"**Yeah, all right," said Harry, slightly surprised.**

"Why would he suddenly want to talk to me?" Harry wonder out loud but no one answer him.

"**Vill you valk vith me?"**

"**Okay," said Harry curiously.**

**Bagman looked slightly perturbed.**

"**I'll wait for you. Harry, shall I?"**

"**No, it's okay, Mr. Bagman," said Harry, suppressing a smile, "I think I can find the castle on my own, thanks."**

**Harry and Krum left the stadium together, but Krum did not set a course for the Durmstrang ship. Instead, he walked toward the forest.**

"Why is he going that way?" Ron asked narrowing his eyes suspiciously, but no one could answer him.

"**What're we going this way for?" said Harry as they passed Hagrid s cabin and the illuminated Beauxbatons carriage.**

"Thanks Harry for asking that," Ron said to the book, now his question was going to be answered.

"**Don't vont to be overheard," said Krum shortly.**

**When at last they had reached a quiet stretch of ground a short way from the Beauxbatons horses' paddock, Krum stopped in the shade of the trees and turned to face Harry.**

"**I vant to know," he said, glowering, "vot there is between you and Hermy-ownninny."**

**"Oh god," Hermione said blushing as a few of the others laughed again at Krum calling her that. **

**Harry, who from Krum's secretive manner had expected something much more serious than this, stared up at Krum in amazement.**

Hermione blushed more as Ron crossed his arm grumpily.

"**Nothing," he said. But Krum glowered at him, and Harry, somehow struck anew by how tall Krum was, elaborated. "We're friends. She's not my girlfriend and she never has been. It's just that Skeeter woman making things up."**

"Hermione haven't you talked to Krum since the article came out," George asked.

"How should I know, I haven't lived through this yet," Hermione frowned, though it was hard to believe that she wouldn't have spoken to him once since then. And if she had of course she would tell Viktor that there was nothing going on between Harry and herself.

"He probably just didn't believe you when you told him that nothing was going on," Ron said grumpily, knowing that Hermione wouldn't appreciate that. Then again he liked the idea that Hermione hadn't seen Krum at all since the last task.

"**Hermy-own-ninny talks about you very often," said Krum, looking suspiciously at Harry.**

"**Yeah," said Harry, "because were friends."**

**Ron frowned wondering if Hermione talked about him a lot too, or if it was only Harry that she talked about. **

**He couldn't quite believe he was having this conversation with Viktor Krum, the famous International Quidditch player. It was as though the eighteen-year-old Krum thought he Harry, was an equal – a real rival –**

"Harry, you are a rival to Viktor," Hermione told him.

"Er …" Harry said uncomfortably as Mr. Granger and Ron both glared at him. "Is that your way of telling me you like me?"

"Don't be ridiculous Harry," Hermione said exasperated. "That's not what I meant at all."

"So do tell, what did you mean, Hermione?" Fred asked her.

"I don't know," Hermione said, "it's just that you don't always see all the good things you have going for you Harry."

"**You haff never … you haff not …"**

"**No," said Harry very firmly.**

**Krum looked slightly happier. He stared at Harry for a few seconds, then said, "You fly very veil. I vos votching at the first task."**

"**Thanks," said Harry, grinning broadly and suddenly feeling much taller himself. **

**A few people chuckled at Harry's thoughts, and he turned slightly red, though he was smiling too. It wasn't every day you were told my an international Quidditch player that you fly well. **

**"I saw you at the Quidditch World Cup. The Wronski Feint, you really -"**

**But something moved behind Krum in the trees, and Harry, who had some experience of the sort of thing that lurked in the forest, instinctively grabbed Krum's arm and pulled him around.**

"**Vot is it?"**

**Harry shook his head, staring at the place where he'd seen movement. He slipped his hand inside his robes, reaching for his wand.**

**Suddenly a man staggered out from behind a tall oak. **

**"You guys went so far so you wouldn't be overheard, and still someone found you," Fred commented.**

**For a moment, Harry didn't recognize him … then he realized it was Mr. Crouch.**

**He looked as though he had been traveling for days. The knees of his robes were ripped and bloody, his face scratched; he was unshaven and gray with exhaustion. His neat hair and mustache were both in need of a wash and a trim. His strange appearance, however, was nothing to the way he was behaving. Muttering and gesticulating, Mr. Crouch appeared to be talking to someone that he alone could see. **

**Percy looked horrified at the description of Mr. Crouch, it was impossible for him to picture his boss ever looking like this. "What happened to him?" **

**"I have no idea," Arthur responded looking almost as shocked at his friend. **

**Sirius too was shocked but he could care little about whatever this man had been through. **

**He reminded Harry vividly of an old tramp he had seen once when out shopping with the Dursleys. That man too had been conversing wildly with thin air; Aunt Petunia had seized Dudley's hand and pulled him across the road to avoid him; Uncle Vernon had then treated the family to a long rant about what he would like to do with beggars and vagrants.**

"**Vosn't he a judge?" said Krum, staring at Mr. Crouch. "Isn't he vith your Ministry?"**

**Harry nodded, hesitated for a moment, then walked slowly toward Mr. Crouch, who did not look at him, but continued to talk to a nearby tree.**

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Sirius said warily, Crouch was clearly unhinged, which meant that he was capable of doing anything.

"… **and when you've done that, Weatherby, send an owl to Dumbledore confirming the number of Durmstrang students who will be attending the tournament, Karkaroff has just sent word there will be twelve …"**

"Does he think he's talking to you?" Fred question, "that in itself is mad."

"**Mr. Crouch?" said Harry cautiously.**

"… **and then send another owl to Madame Maxime, because she might want to up the number of students she's bringing, now Karkaroff's made it a round dozen … do that, Weatherby, will you? Will you? Will …"**

**Mr. Crouch's eyes were bulging. He stood staring at the tree, muttering soundlessly at it. Then he staggered sideways and fell to his knees.**

**Percy gasped and everyone seemed to unnerved by this reaction from Crouch.**

"**Mr. Crouch?" Harry said loudly. "Are you all right?"**

**Crouch's eyes were rolling in his head. Harry looked around at Krum, who had followed him into the trees, and was looking down at Crouch in alarm.**

"**Vot is wrong with him?"**

"**No idea," Harry muttered. "Listen, you'd better go and get someone -"**

"I don't think it would be good to be alone with him," Sirius said, wary again.

"**Dumbledore!" gasped Mr. Crouch. He reached out and seized a handful of Harrys robes, dragging him closer, though his eyes were staring over Harry's head. **

**And this didn't help Sirius's nerves in the least. **

**"I need … see … Dumbledore …"**

"**Okay," said Harry, "if you get up, Mr. Crouch, we can go up to the-"**

"**I've done … stupid … thing …" Mr. Crouch breathed. He looked utterly mad. His eyes were rolling and bulging, and a trickle of spittle was sliding down his chin. Every word he spoke seemed to cost him a terrible effort. "Must … tell … Dumbledore …"**

This reaction from Crouch sent a shiver of suspicious up Tonks's spine. She didn't like how hard it was for him to talk …

"**Get up, Mr. Crouch," said Harry loudly and clearly. "Get up, I'll take you to Dumbledore!"**

**Mr. Crouch's eyes rolled forward onto Harry.**

"**Who … you?" he whispered.**

"**I'm a student at the school," said Harry, looking around at Krum for some help, but Krum was hanging back, looking extremely nervous.**

"Coward," Ron huffed.

"That man is clearly mad, I'd be hanging back too, to be honest," Bill said, frankly he was rather freaked out just listing to it.

"**You're not … his?" whispered Crouch, his mouth sagging.**

"His?" Tonks muttered to herself, wanting to know who Crouch was talking about … and becoming more uncomfortable about his behavior by the minute.

"**No," said Harry, without the faintest idea what Crouch was talking about.**

"**Dumbledore's?"**

"**That's right," said Harry.**

**Crouch was pulling him closer; Harry tried to loosen Crouch's grip on his robes, but it was too powerful.**

"**Warn … Dumbledore …"**

"**I'll get Dumbledore if you let go of me," said Harry. "Just let go, Mr. Crouch, and I'll get him …"**

"**Thank you, Weatherby, and when you have done that, I would like a cup of tea. My wife and son will be arriving shortly, we are attending a concert tonight with Mr. and Mrs. Fudge."**

**Neville's voice tightened as he read about Crouch's son. He couldn't help but think about his parents more and reading about someone that was clearly mad, was just making his mood darker. **

**Crouch was now talking fluently to a tree again, and seemed completely unaware that Harry was there, which surprised Harry so much he didn't notice that Crouch had released him.**

"**Yes, my son has recently gained twelve O.W.L.S, most satisfactory, yes, thank you, yes, very proud indeed. **

**"He sounds like a trophy son," Ginny said, like Crouch only care about his son getting good grades.**

**Now, if you could bring me that memo from the Andorran Minister of Magic, I think I will have time to draft a response …"**

"**You stay here with him!" Harry said to Krum. "I'll get Dumbledore, I'll be quicker, I know where his office is -"**

Sirius nodded his head, he liked the idea of Krum staying with Crouch much more than Harry. He didn't want anything to happen to Krum, but he felt that if something bad was going to happen, it would be something to do with Harry.

"**He is mad," said Krum doubtfully, staring down at Crouch, who was still gabbling to the tree, apparently convinced it was Percy.**

"**Just stay with him," said Harry, starting to get up, but his movement seemed to trigger another abrupt change in Mr. Crouch, who seized him hard around the knees and pulled Harry back to the ground.**

"**Don't … leave … me!" he whispered, his eyes bulging again. "I … escaped … must warn … must tell … see Dumbledore … my fault … all my fault … Bertha … dead … all my fault … my son … my fault … tell Dumbledore … Harry Potter … the Dark Lord … stronger … Harry Potter …"**

"What the bloody hell is he talking about?!" Sirius demanded, looking at the book as he wanted it to answer him.

"It's just a munch of gibberish," Molly said, looking pale and as if she was trying to believe that Crouch had just snapped and none of what he said was real.

"No, this is making too much sense, as crazy as it sounds, to be gibberish," Tonks said.

"How does this make sense at all?" Molly asked her.

"The way he's acting, it seems like he's trying to fight off an enchantment … maybe even the Imperius Curse," Tonks answered grimly.

"That can't be right!" Percy said.

"Maybe it's not the Imperius Curse, but doesn't it seem like he's trying to fight something off," Tonks said. "And he's talking about Bertha being dead, the Dark Lord, Harry … some much of this is what we have been reading in this book. This might also explain his odd behavior … if he was being controlled obviously he wouldn't be able to go to the Ministry. Maybe when Harry spotted him in Snape's office he was really trying to find Dumbledore that time too."

"Obviously he wasn't able to talk to Dumbledore that time," Sirius said shaking his head, "and what's the likely hood someone that's being controlled would be able to escape however is holding him twice?"

"I don't know," Tonks frowned, Sirius had a good point there. "Maybe I was wrong about that part … but you have to admit that doesn't seem mad … he seems more like he's trying to fight something off."

"Unfortunately, I do agree with you," Sirius said grimly. "I don't want to. Thinking about someone in Crouch's position being controlled … it's a very scary thought."

On that happy note, Neville started reading again.

"**I'll get Dumbledore if you let me go, Mr. Crouch!" said Harry. He looked furiously around at Krum. "Help me, will you?"**

**Looking extremely apprehensive, Krum moved forward and squatted down next to Mr. Crouch.**

"Oh Harry, don't look furiously at the poor Krum, he's having a scary enough time with the mad Mr. Crouch," Fred said.

"**Just keep him here," said Harry, pulling himself free of Mr. Crouch. "I'll be back with Dumbledore."**

"**Hurry, von't you?" Krum called after him as Harry sprinted away from the forest and up through the dark grounds. They were deserted; Bagman, Cedric, and Fleur had disappeared. **

**"Now I sort of wish you would have asked Bagman to stay," Remus commented, it would have been good to have another person around.**

**Harry tore up the stone steps, through the oak front doors, and off up the marble staircase, toward the second floor.**

**Five minutes later he was hurtling toward a stone gargoyle standing halfway along an empty corridor.**

"**Sher - sherbet lemon!" he panted at it.**

**This was the password to the hidden staircase to Dumbledore's office – or at least, it had been two years ago. The password had evidently changed, **

**"Well of course it changed … it was two years ago," George said shaking his head.**

**however, for the stone gargoyle did not spring to life and jump aside, but stood frozen, glaring at Harry malevolently.**

"**Move!" Harry shouted at it. "C'mon!"**

**"Yes Harry, I'm sure that's going to work," Fred said sarcastically.**

**But nothing at Hogwarts had ever moved just because he shouted at it; he knew it was no good. He looked up and down the dark corridor. Perhaps Dumbledore was in the staffroom? He started running as fast as he could toward the staircase –**

"**POTTER!"**

**Harry skidded to a halt and looked around. Snape had just emerged from the hidden staircase behind the stone gargoyle. The wall was sliding shut behind him even as he beckoned Harry back toward him.**

"Run around him Harry and through the wall," George advised.

"**What are you doing here, Potter?"**

"**I need to see Professor Dumbledore!" said Harry, running back up the corridor and skidding to a standstill in front of Snape instead. "It's Mr. Crouch … he's just turned up … he's in the forest … he's asking -"**

"**What is this rubbish?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering. "What are you talking about?"**

"Bloody Snape," Sirius gritted his teeth, he was probably the last person he wanted to hear about now.

"**Mr. Crouch!" Harry shouted. "From the Ministry! He's ill or something – he's in the forest, he wants to see Dumbledore! Just give me the password up to -"**

"**The headmaster is busy. Potter," said Snape, his thin mouth curling into an unpleasant smile.**

**Sirius just growled this time as everyone seemed to feel impatient. They wanted Harry to get to Dumbledore already because that was probably the only thing that might settle the anxiety in the room. **

"**I've got to tell Dumbledore!" Harry yelled.**

"**Didn't you hear me. Potter?"**

**Harry could tell Snape was thoroughly enjoying himself, denying Harry the thing he wanted when he was so panicky.**

"Oh he is, the slimy git," Sirius grumbled as Draco chuckled, agreeing with him completely.

"Can't he tell this is important," Harry said. "Crouch has been all over the news lately …"

"Like that matters to Snape when he could torture you instead," Ron said bitterly.

"**Look," said Harry angrily, "Crouch isn't right - he's - he's out of his mind – he says he wants to warn -"**

**The stone wall behind Snape slid open. Dumbledore **

**"Thank goodness," Remus sighed, Snape could be rather testing on one's patients when he wanted to be.**

**was standing there, wearing long green robes and a mildly curious expression. "Is there a problem?" he said, looking between Harry and Snape.**

"**Professor!" Harry said, sidestepping Snape before Snape could speak, "Mr. Crouch is here – he's down in the forest, he wants to speak to you!"**

**Harry expected Dumbledore to ask questions, but to his relief, Dumbledore did nothing of the sort.**

"**Lead the way," he said promptly, and he swept off along the corridor behind Harry, leaving Snape standing next to the gargoyle and looking twice as ugly. **

**Sirius laughed at the description.**

"**What did Mr. Crouch say, Harry?" said Dumbledore as they walked swiftly down the marble staircase.**

"**Said he wants to warn you … said he's done something terrible … he mentioned his son … and Bertha Jorkins … and – and Voldemort … something about Voldemort getting stronger …"**

"What do you think he did that was terrible?" Tonks questioned.

"Nothing," Percy said automatically but his voice wasn't quivering and his conviction was gone. Mr. Crouch was one of the people he'd come to admire most, and watching him fall so hard wasn't easy to watch.

"**Indeed," said Dumbledore, and he quickened his pace as they hurried out into the pitch-darkness.**

"**He's not acting normally," Harry said, hurrying along beside Dumbledore. "He doesn't seem to know where he is. He keeps talking like he thinks Percy Weasley's there, and then he changes, and says he needs to see you … I left him with Viktor Krum."**

"**You did?" said Dumbledore sharply, and he began to take longer strides still, so that Harry was running to keep up. **

**"Hm … do you think the fact that he's walking faster after you said that means he doesn't trust Krum?" Ron questioned. **

**"It probably just means he thinks he should get to where Crouch is more quickly," Hermione said impatiently. **

**"Do you know if anybody else saw Mr. Crouch?"**

"**No," said Harry. "Krum and I were talking, Mr. Bagman had just finished telling us about the third task, we stayed behind, and then we saw Mr. Crouch coming out of the forest -"**

"**Where are they?" said Dumbledore as the Beauxbatons carriage emerged from the darkness.**

"**Over here," said Harry, moving in front of Dumbledore, leading the way through the trees. He couldn't hear Crouch's voice anymore, but he knew where he was going; it hadn't been much past the Beauxbatons carriage … somewhere around here …**

"**Viktor?" Harry shouted.**

**No one answered.**

"**They were here," Harry said to Dumbledore. "They were definitely somewhere around here …"**

Tension billed in the room, it didn't seem like a good sign that Crouch and Krum weren't there. Sirius was more grateful than ever that Harry hadn't stayed.

"**Lumos," Dumbledore said, lighting his wand and holding it up.**

**Its narrow beam traveled from black trunk to black trunk, illuminating the ground. And then it fell upon a pair of feet.**

**Harry and Dumbledore hurried forward. Krum was sprawled on the forest floor. He seemed to be unconscious. **

**"Oh dear! What happened to him," Molly gasped, as the tension became even worse. **

**There was no sign at all of Mr. Crouch. Dumbledore bent over Krum and gently lifted one of his eyelids.**

"**Stunned," he said softly. **

**"At least he was only stunned," she sighed.**

**"But who stunned him?" Tonks asked him. **

**"If I had to guess, whoever it was he had escaped from, had come after him," Bill suggested. **

**"Or whoever put Harry's name in the Goblet … the person working for Voldemort," Tonks added and Bill nodded his head in agreement. **

**"How would they Mr. Crouch was there … in the forest?" Percy asked with a gulp, if they were right what would that mean for Mr. Crouch. **

**"I don't know," Bill admitted, "but Crouch didn't seemed to be keeping his voice down … if they were looking for him they might have been attracted by that …" he tried off as he saw Percy face crumbled. **

**His half-moon glasses glittered in the wandlight as he peered around at the surrounding trees.**

"**Should I go and get someone?" said Harry. "Madam Pomfrey?"**

"**No," said Dumbledore swiftly. "Stay here."**

**He raised his wand into the air and pointed it in the direction of Hagrid's cabin. Harry saw ****something silvery dart out of it and streak away through the trees like a ghostly bird. Then Dumbledore bent over Krum again, pointed his wand at him, and muttered, "Ennervate."**

**Krum opened his eyes. He looked dazed. When he saw Dumbledore, he tried to sit up, but Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and made him lie still.**

"**He attacked me!" Krum muttered, putting a hand up to his head. "**

**"See … Mr. Crouch attacked Krum," Percy said, realizing that he was grasping at straws seeing as he was hoping his boss had attacked someone. **

**The old madman attacked me! I vos looking around to see vare Potter had gone and he attacked from behind!"**

"If it was from behind then Krum doesn't really know who attack him," Bill said in a soft tone and Percy shoulders slumped.

"**Lie still for a moment," Dumbledore said.**

**The sound of thunderous footfalls reached them, and Hagrid came panting into sight with Fang at his heels. He was carrying his crossbow.**

"**Professor Dumbledore!" he said, his eyes widening. "Harry – what the -?"**

"**Hagrid, I need you to fetch Professor Karkaroff," said Dumbledore. "His student has been attacked. When you've done that, kindly alert Professor Moody – "**

"**No need, Dumbledore," said a wheezy growl. "I'm here."**

**Moody was limping toward them, leaning on his staff, his wand lit.**

"**Damn leg," he said furiously. "Would've been here quicker … what's happened? Snape said something about Crouch – "**

Tonks rolled her eyes at Moody blaming his leg for making him move slower. She's heard it many times before, but the old man was still very quick. He just never minded when people took him lightly.

"**Crouch?" said Hagrid blankly.**

"**Karkaroff, please, Hagrid!" said Dumbledore sharply.**

"**Oh yeah … right y'are, Professor …" said Hagrid, and he turned and disappeared into the dark trees, Fang trotting after him.**

"**I don't know where Barty Crouch is," Dumbledore told Moody, "but it is essential that we find him."**

"**I'm onto it," growled Moody, and he pulled out his wand and limped off into the forest.**

**Neither Dumbledore nor Harry spoke again until they heard the unmistakable sounds of Hagrid and Fang returning. Karkaroff was hurrying along behind them. He was wearing his sleek silver furs, and he looked pale and agitated.**

"**What is this?" he cried when he saw Krum on the ground and Dumbledore and Harry beside him. "What's going on?"**

"**I vos attacked!" said Krum, sitting up now and rubbing his head. "Mr. Crouch or votever his name -"**

"**Crouch attacked you? Crouch attacked you? The Triwizard judge?"**

"**Igor," Dumbledore began, but Karkaroff had drawn himself up, clutching his furs around him, ****looking livid.**

"**Treachery!" he bellowed, pointing at Dumbledore. "It is a plot! You and your Ministry of Magic have lured me here under false pretenses, Dumbledore! This is not an equal competition! First you sneak Potter into the tournament, though he is underage! Now one of your Ministry friends attempts to put my champion out of action! I smell double-dealing and corruption in this whole affair, and you, Dumbledore, you, with your talk of closer international wizarding links, of rebuilding old ties, of forgetting old differences – here's what I think of you!"**

**"What a drama queen," Fred said drily causing a few people to snort. **

**Karkaroff spat onto the ground at Dumbledore's feet. In one swift movement, Hagrid seized the front of Karkaroff's furs, lifted him into the air, and slammed him against a nearby tree.**

"Dear lord," Juliet gasped alarmed and she wasn't the only one that was surprised.

"**Apologize!" Hagrid snarled as Karkaroff gasped for breath, Hagrid's massive fist at his throat, his feet dangling in midair.**

**"Yeah, an angry Hagrid is rather terrifying," Sirius gulped.**

**"I don't thing terrifying covers it," Harry mumbled. He had never seen Hagrid like that, picking people up and all. **

"**Hagrid, no!" Dumbledore shouted, his eyes flashing.**

**Hagrid removed the hand pinning Karkaroff to the tree, and Karkaroff slid all the way down the trunk and slumped in a huddle at its roots; a few twigs and leaves showered down upon his head.**

"**Kindly escort Harry back up to the castle, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply.**

**Breathing heavily, Hagrid gave Karkaroff a glowering look.**

"**Maybe I'd better stay here. Headmaster …"**

"I'm pretty sure that's the exact opposite of what Dumbledore what's right," Sirius said.

"**You will take Harry back to school, Hagrid," Dumbledore repeated firmly. "Take him right up to Gryffindor Tower. And Harry – I want you to stay there. Anything you might want to do – any owls you might want to send – they can wait until morning, do you understand me?"**

"Bloody hell, Harry, you better not try to send me a letter tonight!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I won't be," Harry said stiffly, not really like that Sirius sounded like he was telling him off for something he hadn't done yet.

"**Er - yes," said Harry, staring at him. How had Dumbledore known that, at that very moment, he had been thinking about sending Pigwidgeon straight to Sirius, to tell him what had happened?**

_Okay, maybe I needed the telling off a little_, Harry thought reluctantly.

"**I'll leave Fang with yeh Headmaster," Hagrid said, staring menacingly at Karkaroff, who was still sprawled at the foot of the tree, tangled in furs and tree roots. "Stay, Fang. C'mon, Harry."**

**They marched in silence past the Beauxbatons carriage and up toward the castle.**

"**How dare he," Hagrid growled as they strode past the lake. "How dare he accus Dumbledore. Like Dumbledore'd do anythin' like that. Like Dumbledore wanted you in the tournament in the firs' place. Worried! I dunno when I seen Dumbledore more worried than he's bin lately. An' you!" Hagrid suddenly said angrily to Harry, who looked up at him, taken aback. "What were yeh doin', wanderin' off with ruddy Krum? He's from Durmstrang, Harry! Coulda jinxed yeh ****right there, couldn he? Hasn' Moody taught yeh nothin'? 'Magine lettin him lure yeh off on yer own -"**

"That's going a bit far, Krum hasn't done anything suspicious," Harry rolled his eyes and was aware that others didn't completely agreed with him about that … most notably Ron, though that one wasn't surprising to him.

"**Krum's all right!" said Harry as they climbed the steps into the entrance hall. "He wasn't trying to jinx me, he just wanted to talk about Hermione -"**

"**I'll be havin' a few words with her, an' all," said Hagrid grimly, stomping up the stairs. "The less you lot 'ave ter do with these foreigners, the happier yeh'll be. Yeh can trust any of 'em."**

"Well that's going a bit far," Bill said. "You'd be living in a small word if you don't trust anyone form a different country."

"**You were getting on all right with Madame Maxime," Harry said, annoyed.**

"**Don' you talk ter me abou' her!" said Hagrid, and he looked quite frightening for a moment. "I've got her number now! Tryin' ter get back in me good books, tryin' ter get me ter tell her ****what's comin in the third task. Ha! You can' trust any of'em!"**

**Hagrid was in such a bad mood, Harry was quite glad to say good-bye to him in front of the Fat Lady. He clambered through the portrait hole into the common room and hurried straight for the corner where Ron and Hermione were sitting, to tell them what had happened.**

"Of course you did," Neville said shaking his head, that was a semi regular occurrence. "That was the end of the chapter."


	31. The Dream

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty-One

The Dream

Ginny took the book from Neville and started reading, **"The Dream." **

"Er … what does that mean?" Neville wondered.

"Probably that Harry's going to have some strange nightmare or something like that," Ron said.

"**It comes down to this," said Hermione, rubbing her forehead. "Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking." **

"I agree with that," Tonks said, that was what they had thought too.

"**It must've been Crouch," said Ron at once. "That's why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner." **

"But why would he have come there in the first place if he was just going to run away?" Tonks asked him.

"I don't know," Ron mumbled, "but he didn't really seemed like he was in his right mind, he could have gone into a different personality and left."

"I suppose," Tonks said, she didn't think that was what happened but it wasn't something she could rule out either.

"**I don't think so," said Harry, shaking his head. "He seemed really weak – I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything." **

"**You can't Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds, haven't I told you enough times?" said Hermione. **

"Obviously not," Fred chuckled.

"**Okay … hows this for a theory," said Ron excitedly. "Krum attacked Crouch – no, wait for it – and then Stunned himself!" **

"I like that idea," Ron said and grinned at Hermione as she glared at him. "I'm only joking, Hermione."

"**And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?" said Hermione coldly. **

"**Oh yeah …" **

**It was daybreak. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had crept out of their dormitories very early and hurried up to the Owlery together to send a note to Sirius. Now they were standing looking out at the misty grounds. All three of them were puffy-eyed and pale because they had been talking late into the night about Mr. Crouch. **

"**Just go through it again, Harry," said Hermione. "What did Mr. Crouch actually say?" **

"**I've told you, he wasn't making much sense," said Harry. "He said he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins, and he seemed to think she was dead. He kept saying stuff was his fault … He mentioned his son." **

"**Well, that was his fault," said Hermione testily. **

"No it wasn't his fault," Neville said in a quite yet firm voice. "You can't blame his dad for the choices he made."

"We're not sure what he did," Hermione pointed out, not in her normal forceful way when she thought she was because she knew where Neville was coming from in this conversation.

"I supposed it matters whether or not Crouch's son was guilty," Neville allowed in an emotionless voice. "But it seems like it's wrong to say that he went bad because his dad was too hard on him."

"**He was out of his mind," said Harry. "Half the time he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions." **

"**And … remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?" said Ron tentatively. **

"Do we really need to be reminded of that," Ginny sighed.

"It's something we need to know," Remus pointed out.

"**I've told you," Harry repeated dully. "He said he's getting stronger." **

**There was a pause. Then Ron said in a falsely confident voice, "But he was out of his mind, like you said, so half of it was probably just raving …" **

"He was sanest when he was trying to talk about Voldemort," said Harry,

"Sanest, but still out of his mind," Fred said.

"No, I agree with Harry, he might not have been completely together, but when he was talking about that he knew what he saying," Tonks said.

**and Ron winced at the sound of the name. "He was having real trouble stringing two words together, but that was when he seemed to know where he was, and know what he wanted to do. He just kept saying he had to see Dumbledore." **

**Harry turned away from the window and stared up into the rafters. The many perches were half-empty; every now and then, another owl would swoop in through one of the windows, returning from its night's hunting with a mouse in its beak. **

"**If Snape hadn't held me up," Harry said bitterly, "we might've got there in time. 'The headmaster is busy. Potter … what's this rubbish, Potter?' Why couldn't he have just got out of the way?" **

"Because he's a git," Sirius said earnestly.

"**Maybe he didn't want you to get there!" said Ron quickly. "Maybe – hang on – how fast d'you reckon he could've gotten down to the forest? D'you reckon he could've beaten you and Dumbledore there?" **

"**Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something," said Harry. **

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sirius said. "He's always looked like a bat anyways."

"**Wouldn't put it past him," Ron muttered.**

"Poor Sirius, you think about this idiot," Ginny said pointing to Ron, who made a face at her.

"**We need to see Professor Moody," said Hermione. "We need to find out whether he found Mr. Crouch." **

"**If he had the Marauder's Map on him, it would've been easy," said Harry. **

"That's right, he took the map from you," Sirius said. "You're right, Harry, he should have been able to find Crouch in no time with that."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Remus said. "Depending on when Crouch and Krum were attack after Harry left, there was time to get out of the map's ranges."

"**Unless Crouch was already outside the grounds," said Ron, "because it only shows up to the boundaries, doesn't -" **

"And now you're thinking like Ron too, Remus," Ginny said and then added dramatically, "what has the world come too."

"Shut up," Ron snapped at her as the others laughed.

"**Shh!" said Hermione suddenly. **

**Somebody was climbing the steps up to the Owlery. Harry could hear two voices arguing, coming closer and closer. **

"**- that's blackmail, that is, we could get into a lot of trouble for that-" **

"**- we've tried being polite; it's time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn't like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did -" **

"**I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's blackmail!" **

"**Yeah, and you won't be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?" **

**The Owlery door banged open. Fred and George came over the threshold, **

"What?!" Molly gasped and then glared at the twins. "You will not blackmail anyone."

"Who are we blackmailing?" Fred said looking just as shock as anyone about this new piece of information.

"No idea brother, but this is probably what we've been whispering about all year," George reasoned.

"Boys," Arthur said in a firm tone that he didn't normally use. "Blackmail is never the right choice. I understand you don't know who or why you are trying to blackmail someone, but you should still try to explore all the other options you have.

"It sounds like we have tried to, Dad," Fred said. "Gin, didn't you read that we tried to be polite or something?"

Ginny looked at the book and nodded her head, "Yeah it does say that … though you guys being polite might not actually be polite."

"Hm … good point," Fred agreed.

"We've been whispering about something all year," George said.

"I understand," Arthur said in a grave tone. "But I'd still hope that you would try to restrain from threatening or blackmailing to get what you want. You shouldn't forsake your morals for monetary means."

"Okay, Dad," the twins echoed.

**then froze at the sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. **

"**What're you doing here?" Ron and Fred said at the same time. **

"**Sending a letter," said Harry and George in unison. **

"**What, at this time?" said Hermione and Fred. **

**Fred grinned. **

"**Fine – we won't ask you what you're doing, if you don't ask us," he said. **

"Well I don't like that one bit," Fred said to the book. "I'd really like to know what you're up to Fred!"

**He was holding a sealed envelope in his hands. Harry glanced at it, but Fred, whether accidentally or on purpose, shifted his hand so that the name on it was covered. **

"It probably was on purpose, I know you're a noses git, Potter," Fred said.

"**Well, don't let us hold you up," Fred said, making a mock bow and pointing at the door. **

**Ron didn't move. "Who're you blackmailing?" he said. **

**The grin vanished from Fred's face. Harry saw George half glance at Fred, before smiling at Ron. **

"**Don't be stupid, I was only joking," he said easily. **

"**Didn't sound like that," said Ron. **

**Fred and George looked at each other. Then Fred said abruptly, "I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but -" **

"**It's my business if you're blackmailing someone," said Ron. "George's right, you could end up in serious trouble for that." **

"Aw, is Ronniekins worried about his big brothers," George said in a baby voice.

"Don't know why I bother," Ron grumbled.

"**Told you, I was joking," said George. He walked over to Fred, pulled the letter out of his hands, and began attaching it to the leg of the nearest barn owl. "You're starting to sound a bit like our dear older brother, you are, Ron. Carry on like this and you'll be made a prefect." **

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Bill said, Percy being too much in shock over Mr. Crouch to respond to this.

"It is," the twins said together.

"**No, I won't!" said Ron hotly. **

**"****And it looks like Ronniekins things along our lines," Fred chuckled. **

**George carried the barn owl over to the window and it took off. George turned around and grinned at Ron. **

Arthur frowned, he hoped that whatever was in the letter wouldn't end up getting Fred and George in trouble.

"**Well, stop telling people what to do then. See you later." **

**He and Fred left the Owlery. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another. **

"**You don't think they know something about all this, do you?" Hermione whispered. "About Crouch and everything?" **

"Why would we know anything about Crouch?" Fred asked, stunned.

"I don't know, you said whoever it you're … writing too," Hermione said, choosing not to say blackmail again, "was in the Ministry. Or at least that they wouldn't want the Minister to know, and that seems to imply that he works in the Ministry. Crouch is one of the few people that you have seen from the Ministry."

"I guess," George said but he didn't look convince as he looked at Fred, who had the same doubtful expression.

"There's Bagman too," Tonks pointed out, as she frowned as she thought, "and now that I think about it … you have been trying to talk to him …"

"Bagman?" George said, shocked that they would be trying to blackmail him too, and yet it made a lot more sense that it would be him than Crouch. "I still don't know why we would be trying to do it."

"Neither do I," Tonks shrugged, "but you have seen him as well."

"**No," said Harry. "If it was something that serious, they'd tell someone. They'd tell Dumbledore." **

**Ron, however, was looking uncomfortable. **

"**What's the matter?" Hermione asked him. **

"**Well …" said Ron slowly, "I dunno if they would. **

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence Ron," Fred said in an overly dramatic sob.

**They're … they're obsessed with making money lately, I noticed it when I was hanging around with them – when – you know -" **

"**We weren't talking." Harry finished the sentence for him. "Yeah, but blackmail…" **

"**It's this joke shop idea they've got," said Ron. "I thought they were only saying it to annoy Mum, but they really mean it, they want to start one. They've only got a year left at Hogwarts, they keep going on about how it's time to think about their future, and Dad can't help them, and they need gold to get started." **

**Hermione was looking uncomfortable now. **

"So now you don't believe in us either," George said in the same tone that Fred had just used.

"You are blackmailing someone," Hermione pointed out defensively.

"We might care about getting the gold we need to get started, but we're not going to try to blackmail anyone for that," Fred said seriously. "As far as I can tell from what we've heard, we were the ones that were wronged … we're not blackmailing just to blackmail."

"**Yes, but … they wouldn't do anything against the law to get gold." **

"**Wouldn't they?" said Ron, looking skeptical. "I dunno … they don't exactly mind breaking rules, do they?" **

"**Yes, but this is the law" said Hermione, looking scared. "This isn't some silly school rule … **

"You think school rules are silly," Ginny asked, trying to break some of the tension that was in the room as people didn't seem to like the whole blackmailing situation. "That's news to me."

"There's a difference between school rules and breaking the law," Hermione said.

**They'll get a lot more than detention for blackmail! Ron … maybe you'd better tell Percy …" **

"Why would I tell Percy?" Ron said, "if I was going to tell anyone I'd tell dad … or maybe Bill."

"**Are you mad?" said Ron. "Tell Percy? He'd probably do a Crouch and turn them in." **

Percy frowned, as he dimly listened to what was being said. He did want to be like Crouch, and he didn't think it was right to blackmail anyone, but turn in his brothers for this would only mean trouble for them …

**He stared at the window through which Fred and George's owl had departed, then said, "Come on, let's get some breakfast." **

"**D'you think it's too early to go and see Professor Moody?" Hermione said as they went down the spiral staircase. **

"**Yes," said Harry. "He'd probably blast us through the door if we wake him at the crack of dawn; he'll think we're trying to attack him while he's asleep. Let's give it till break." **

**History of Magic had rarely gone so slowly. Harry kept checking Ron's watch, having finally discarded his own, but Ron's was moving so slowly he could have sworn it had stopped working too. All three of them were so tired they could happily have put their heads down on the desks and slept; **

"Why don't we do that," Ron mumbled, it wasn't like he was going to learn anything in History of Magic anyways.

**even Hermione wasn't taking her usual notes, but was sitting with her head on her hand, gazing at Professor Binns with her eyes out of focus. **

**When the bell finally rang, they hurried out into the corridors toward the Dark Arts classroom and found Professor Moody leaving it. He looked as tired as they felt. The eyelid of his normal eye was drooping, giving his face an even more lopsided appearance than usual. **

"**Professor Moody?" Harry called as they made their way toward him through the crowd. **

"**Hello, Potter," growled Moody. His magical eye followed a couple of passing first years, who sped up, looking nervous; it rolled into the back of Moody's head and watched them around the corner before he spoke again. **

"**Come in here." **

**He stood back to let them into his empty classroom, limped in after them, and closed the door. **

"**Did you find him?" Harry asked without preamble. "Mr. Crouch?" **

"**No," said Moody. **

There was a groan of disappointment in the room as everyone had wanted Mr. Crouch to be found.

**He moved over to his desk, sat down, stretched out his wooden leg with a slight groan, and pulled out his hip flask. **

"**Did you use the map?" Harry said. **

"**Of course," said Moody, taking a swig from his flask. "Took a leaf out of your book, Potter. Summoned it from my office into the forest. He wasn't anywhere on there." **

"**So he did Disapparate?" said Ron. **

"**You can't Disapparate on the grounds, Ron!" said Hermione. **

"He could have gone off the grounds and then Disapparate," Ron pointed out.

**"There are other ways he could have disappeared, aren't there, Professor?" **

**Moody's magical eye quivered as it rested on Hermione. "You're another one who might think about a career as an Auror," he told her. "Mind works the right way Granger." **

**Hermione flushed pink with pleasure. **

"I didn't realize you wanted to be an Auror, Hermione," Tonks said cheerfully.

"Er … I don't," Hermione replied. "At least I don't think I do."

"Oh …" Tonks said. "Well that's okay, though I think it would be cool if you wanted to be."

"**Well, he wasn't invisible," said Harry. "The map shows invisible people. He must've left the grounds, then." **

"**But under his own steam?" said Hermione eagerly, "or because someone made him?" **

"**Yeah, someone could've – could've pulled him onto a broom and flown off with him, couldn't they?" said Ron quickly, looking hopefully at Moody as if he too wanted to be told he had the makings of an Auror. **

Ron groaned at this description as his siblings laughed, Harry didn't really have to notice that, did he?!

"**We can't rule out kidnap," growled Moody. **

"**So," said Ron, "d'you reckon he's somewhere in Hogsmeade?" **

"**Could be anywhere," said Moody, shaking his head. "Only thing we know for sure is that he's not here." **

**He yawned widely, so that his scars stretched, and his lopsided mouth revealed a number of missing teeth. Then he said, "Now, Dumbledore's told me you three fancy yourselves as investigators, but there's nothing you can do for Crouch. The Ministry'll be looking for him now, Dumbledore's notified them. Potter, you just keep your mind on the third task." **

"**What?" said Harry. "Oh yeah …" **

**He hadn't given the maze a single thought since he'd left it with Krum the previous night. **

"Of course you haven't," Hermione sighed shaking her head. She understood why Harry was so distracted, seeing as she was too, but it really was more important that Harry concentrate on the task now.

"**Should be right up your street, this one," said Moody, looking up at Harry and scratching his scarred and stubbly chin. "From what Dumbledore's said, you've managed to get through stuff like this plenty of times. Broke your way through a series of obstacles guarding the Sorcerer's Stone in your first year, didn't you?" **

"**We helped," Ron said quickly. "Me and Hermione helped." **

**Moody grinned. **

"**Well, help him practice for this one, and I'll be very surprised if he doesn't win," said Moody. **

"That sounds about right," Harry agreed with that and Ron and Hermione smiled at him.

**"In the meantime … constant vigilance, Potter. Constant vigilance." **

**He took another long draw from his hip flask, and his magical eye swiveled onto the window. The topmost sail of the Durmstrang ship was visible through it. **

"**You two," counseled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and Hermione, "you stick close to Potter, all right? I'm keeping an eye on things, but all the same … you can never have too many eyes out." **

"We always keep an eye on Harry," Ron said. "Though, doesn't really stop us all from getting into trouble."

**Sirius sent their owl back the very next morning. It fluttered down beside Harry at the same moment that a tawny owl landed in front of Hermione, clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet in its beak. She took the newspaper, scanned the first few pages, said, "Ha! She hasn't got wind of Crouch!" then joined Ron and Harry in reading what Sirius had to say on the mysterious events of the night before last. **

**_Harry - what do you think you are playing at, walking off into the forest with Viktor Krum? I want you to swear, by return owl, that you are not going to go walking with anyone else at night. _**

"I can't believe that's really you speaking," Remus said in awe. "Think of all the time you went off into the woods … and with a dangerous monster too."

"This is different, Mooney," Sirius said, though he understood what his friend meant. It was hard to believe that he sounded so parent like, but he was really worried about Harry.

**_There is somebody highly dangerous at Hogwarts. It is clear to me that they wanted to stop Crouch from seeing Dumbledore and you were probably feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed. _**

"See," Sirius said, shuddering at the thought about how close Harry was to danger.

_**Your name didn**_**'**_**t get into the Goblet of Fire by accident. If someone**_**'**_**s trying to attack you, they**_**'**_**re on their last chance. Stay close to Ron and Hermione, do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task. Practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn**_**'**_**t go amiss either. There**_**'**_**s nothing you can do about Crouch. Keep your head down and look after yourself. I**_**'**_**m waiting for your letter giving me your word you won**_**'**_**t stray out-of-bounds again. **_

**_Sirius _**

"**Who's he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds?" said Harry in mild indignation **

"I'm your godfather, that's who I am," Sirius said looking at the Harry in the room, who didn't seem to be too please about what was said in the letter either.

"Yeah … I know," Harry said curtly.

**as he folded up Sirius's letter and put it inside his robes. "After all the stuff he did at school!" **

"**He's worried about you!" said Hermione sharply. "Just like Moody and Hagrid! So listen to them!" **

"**No one's tried to attack me all year," said Harry. "No one's done anything to me at all-" **

"Why are you fighting this so much Harry?" Ron questioned him. "You're not actually planning on going on another night time stroll with Krum are you?"

"No," Harry said making a face at the mental image that Ron had just created (as other sniggered). "I just don't like being told off. Especially when no one would have even thought to tell me not to talk with Krum in the first place if this didn't happen. It's just annoying."

"**Except put your name in the Goblet of Fire," said Hermione. "And they must've done that for a reason Harry. Snuffles is right. Maybe they've been biding their time. Maybe this is the task they're going to get you." **

This statement seemed to make everyone nervous as they couldn't really argue against it.

"**Look," said Harry impatiently, "let's say Sirius is right, and someone Stunned Krum to kidnap Crouch. Well, they would've been in the trees near us, wouldn't they? But they waited till I was out of the way until they acted, didn't they? So it doesn't look like I'm their target, does it?" **

"That's actually a good point," Tonks said as other shook their heads in disagreement. "I mean it. There's nothing to suggest that someone is planning on hurting outside of the task."

"Well if that's true, then the next task really is where something is going to happen," Ron said.

"Yes, I would imagine so," Tonks agreed. "But haven't we all been thinking that since Harry's name was entered into the cup. It had to take a lot of work to get Harry's name in there, so the task were going to be where he was in the most danger."

"But whoever set him up must have realized that a maze is something that Harry's more comfortable with," Ron said.

"Maybe, but if it really is a maze, who knows what could be in there … it would probably to bring in some kind of dark object, poison or something like that," Tonks said.

"Tonks, could you please stop arguing your case so well!" Sirius growled at her.

"I'm sorry," Tonks blushed slightly, "I can't help but think of this things. I just feel that Harry will be okay inside the castle."

"Well that a comfort," Sirius mumbled.

"**They couldn't have made it look like an accident if they'd murdered you in the forest!" said Hermione. "But if you die during a task-" **

"**They didn't care about attacking Krum, did they?" said Harry. "Why didn't they just polish me off at the same time? They could've made it look like Krum and I had a duel or something." **

"**Harry, I don't understand it either," said Hermione desperately. "I just know there are a lot of odd things going on, and I don't like it … Moody's right – Sirius is right – you've got to get in training for the third task, straight away. And you make sure you write back to Sirius and promise him you're not going to go sneaking off alone again." **

Ron shook his head, "Hermione, I know you're trying to help, but Harry's already annoyed by being told what to do, he doesn't need more of it."

Hermione crossed her arms, but didn't say anything.

**The Hogwarts grounds never looked more inviting than when Harry had to stay indoors. For the next few days he spent all of his free time either in the library with Hermione and Ron, looking up hexes, or else in empty classrooms, which they sneaked into to practice. Harry was concentrating on the Stunning Spell, which he had never used before. The trouble was that practicing it involved certain sacrifices on Ron's and Hermione's part. **

The twins started sniggering at this, they could see where this was going.

"**Can't we kidnap Mrs. Norris?" Ron suggested on Monday lunchtime as he lay flat on his back in the middle of their Charms classroom, having just been Stunned and reawoken by Harry for the fifth time in a row. **

"If you're stunning me five times in a row, don't you think you've learned the spell properly?!" Ron grumbled.

"Nah, I probably need to practice a bit more," Harry said trying to hide his amusement.

**"Let's Stun her for a bit. Or you could use Dobby, Harry, I bet he'd do anything to help you. **

Hermione glared at Ron.

**I'm not complaining or anything" – he got gingerly to his feet, rubbing his backside – "but I'm aching all over …" **

"**Well, you keep missing the cushions, don't you!" said Hermione impatiently, rearranging the pile of cushions they had used for the Banishing Spell, which Flitwick had left in a cabinet. "Just try and fall backward!" **

"**Once you're Stunned, you can't aim too well, Hermione!" said Ron angrily. "Why don't you take a turn?" **

"**Well, I think Harry's got it now, anyway," said Hermione hastily. **

"Of course he has," Ron said rolling his eyes as the others laughed more at that.

**"And we don't have to worry about Disarming, because he's been able to do that for ages … I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening." **

**She looked down the list they had made in the library. **

"**I like the look of this one," she said, "this Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you Harry. We'll start with that one." **

"What's the point of slowing something down when you can just stun them," Ginny mused.

"Well it works on object too, for one thing," Tonks answered. "For another, it takes less concentration to do this spell. It's a good spell to have in your arsenal."

**The bell rang. They hastily shoved the cushions back into Flitwicks cupboard and slipped out of the classroom. **

"**See you at dinner!" said Hermione, and she set off for Arithmancy, while Harry and Ron headed toward North Tower, and Divination. Broad strips of dazzling gold sunlight tell across the corridor from the high windows. The sky outside was so brightly blue it looked as though it had been enameled. **

"**It's going to be boiling in Trelawney's room, she never puts out that fire," said Ron as they started up the staircase toward the silver ladder and the trapdoor. **

**He was quite right. The dimly lit room was swelteringly hot. The fumes from the perfumed fire were heavier than ever. Harrys head swam as he made his way over to one of the curtained windows. While Professor Trelawney was looking the other way, disentangling her shawl from a lamp, he opened it an inch or so and settled back in his chintz armchair, so that a soft breeze played across his face. It was extremely comfortable. **

"That's not fair, you should open it more so that I can feel the breeze too," Ron said.

"Sorry," Harry suppressed a smile.

"First stunning me repeatedly and now this," Ron shook his head but he smiled too.

"**My dears," said Professor Trelawney, sitting down in her winged armchair in front of the class and peering around at them all with her strangely enlarged eyes, "we have almost finished our ****work on planetary divination. Today, however, will be an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of Mars, for he is placed most interestingly at the present time. If you will all look this way, I will dim the lights …" **

"Hm … I bet Mars is bright tonight," Harry said in a mysterious voice and Hermione laughed.

"What's so funny," Ron asked.

"It's just want the centaurs keep saying when we went to the Forbidden Forest in first year," Harry explained. "It was just about the only thing they said."

**She waved her wand and the lamps went out. The fire was the only source of light now. Professor Trelawney bent down and lifted, from under her chair, a miniature model of the solar system, contained within a glass dome. It was a beautiful thing; each of the moons glimmered in place around the nine planets and the fiery sun, all of them hanging in thin air beneath the glass. Harry watched lazily as Professor Trelawney began to point out the fascinating angle Mars was making to Neptune. **

**The heavily perfumed fumes washed over him, and the breeze from the window played across his face. He could hear an insect humming gently somewhere behind the curtain. His eyelids began to droop … **

**He was riding on the back of an eagle owl, **

"Oh no Harry, you've fallen asleep in class! The horror!" Fred gasped, and Ginny ignored him as he started reading.

**soaring through the clear blue sky toward an old, ivy-covered house set high on a hillside. Lower and lower they flew, the wind blowing pleasantly in Harry's face, until they reached a dark and broken window in the upper story of the house and entered. Now they were flying along a gloomy passageway, to a room at the very end … through the door they went, into a dark room whose windows were boarded up … **

**Harry had left the owl's back … he was watching, now, as it fluttered across the room, into a chair with its back to him … There were two dark shapes on the floor beside the chair … both of them were stirring … **

**One was a huge snake … the other was a man … a short, balding man, a man with watery eyes and a pointed nose … he was wheezing and sobbing on the hearth rug … **

"**You are in luck, Wormtail," said a cold, **

Sirius and Remus both stiffened and their expression because hard at the use of their old friend's nickname.

"It's another vision," Bill stated, that was what the title mean when it said dream.

**high-pitched voice from the depths of the chair in which the owl had landed. "You are very fortunate indeed. Your blunder has not ruined everything. He is dead." **

"**My Lord!" gasped the man on the floor. "My Lord, I am … I am so pleased … and so sorry …" **

"Someone's dead and he's pleased," Remus said his expression still hard but he also looked pained.

"They're talking about Mr. Crouch, aren't they," Percy said in a hollow voice.

"I would think so," Arthur said in a grave voice.

"He had made it seem like he had escaped … and he is missing …" Bill added and Percy bowed his head miserably.

"**Nagini," said the cold voice, "you are out of luck. I will not be feeding Wormtail to you, after all … but never mind, never mind … there is still Harry Potter …" **

"That will never happen!" a few people said at the same time, along with other protest. Harry on the other hand was looking a little pale as he listened to Voldemort casually saying that he was going to be snake food.

**The snake hissed. Harry could see its tongue fluttering. **

"**Now, Wormtail," said the cold voice, "perhaps one more little reminder why I will not tolerate another blunder from you …" **

"**My Lord … no … I beg you …" **

**The tip of a wand emerged from around the back of the chair. It was pointing at Wormtail. **

"**Crucio!" said the cold voice. **

Sirius turned darker than it was before, he had thought about torturing the rat himself but it was oddly numbing to hear this.

**Wormtail screamed, screamed as though every nerve in his body were on fire, the screaming filled Harry's ears as the scar on his forehead seared with pain; he was yelling too … Voldemort would hear him, would know he was there … **

Several people winched as they listened to the effect this vision was having on Harry.

"**Harry! Harry!" **

**Harry opened his eyes. He was lying on the floor of Professor Trelawney's room with his hands over his face. His scar was still burning so badly that his eyes were watering. The pain had been real. The whole class was standing around him, and Ron was kneeling next to him, looking terrified. **

"Bloody hell, of course I'm terrified, you were just yelling your bloody head off," Ron said looked rather pale.

"**You all right?" he said. **

"**Of course he isn't!" said Professor Trelawney, looking thoroughly excited. Her great eyes loomed over Harry, gazing at him. "What was it Potter? A premonition? An apparition? What did you see?" **

"Argh," Harry groaned, Divination was probably the worst class possible for him to have a vision in … Trelawney was going to be impossible.

"**Nothing," Harry lied. He sat up. He could feel himself shaking. He couldn't stop himself from looking around, into the shadows behind him; Voldemorts voice had sounded so close … **

"**You were clutching your scar!" said Professor Trelawney. "You were rolling on the floor, clutching your scar! Come now Potter, I have experience in these matters!" **

Hermione couldn't help the snort that came out of her, though she was very worried about Harry, she hated that Trelawney was adding to his stress by continuing to bother him.

**Harry looked up at her. **

"**I need to go to the hospital wing, I think," he said. "Bad headache." **

"**My dear, you were undoubtedly stimulated by the extraordinary clairvoyant vibrations of my room!" said Professor Trelawney. "If you leave now, you may lose the opportunity to see further than you have ever -" **

"I doubt I need to see any more of that vision," Harry mumbled, he didn't want to see Wormtail being tortured more.

"**I don't want to see anything except a headache cure," said Harry. **

**He stood up. The class backed away. They all looked unnerved. **

"**See you later," Harry muttered to Ron, and he picked up his bag and headed for the trapdoor, ignoring Professor Trelawney, who was wearing an expression of great frustration, as though she had just been denied a real treat. **

"Well that was probably the closest she's ever been to someone having a vision," George said.

**When Harry reached the bottom of her stepladder, however, he did not set off for the hospital wing. He had no intention whatsoever of going there. Sirius had told him what to do if his scar hurt him again, and Harry was going to follow his advice: He was going straight to Dumbledore's office. **

"Good," Sirius wasn't the only one to say.

**He marched down the corridors, thinking about what he had seen in the dream … it had been as vivid as the one that had awoken him on Privet Drive … He ran over the details in his mind, trying to make sure he could remember them … He had heard Voldemort accusing Wormtail of making a blunder … but the owl had brought good news, the blunder had been repaired, somebody was dead … so Wormtail was not going to be fed to the snake … he, Harry, was going to be fed to it instead … **

"You really didn't need to repeat that bit," Ginny said shuddering, and Harry agreed that he didn't really need to hear that again.

**Harry had walked right past the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledores office without noticing. He blinked, looked around, realized what he had done, and retraced his steps, stopping in front of it. Then he remembered that he didn't know the password. **

"**Sherbet lemon?" he tried tentatively. **

"You know that one doesn't work," Bill said.

"You never know, Dumbledore might have changed the password back to that," Remus said.

"Why would he do that?" Bill inquired.

"If he had known Harry used it, and he could have found that out by asking the gargoyle, he might have changed it to that on the case that Harry would need to talk to him again," Remus said. "He might not have said anything, but he probably wasn't pleased that Harry had been detained from getting to him the night before … seeing as getting to the forest quickly was what he wanted."

**The gargoyle did not move. **

"Well, apparently I was wrong about that," he sighed.

"**Okay," said Harry, staring at it, "Pear Drop. Er – Licorice Wand. Fizzing Whizbee. Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans … oh no, he doesn't like them, does he? … oh just open, can't you?" he said angrily. "I really need to see him, its urgent!" **

**The gargoyle remained immovable. **

**Harry kicked it, achieving nothing but an excruciating pain in his big toe. **

"**Chocolate Frog!" he yelled angrily, standing on one leg. "Sugar Quill! Cockroach Cluster!" **

**The gargoyle sprang to life and jumped aside. Harry blinked. **

"You're kidding me!" Fred said laughing.

"**Cockroach Cluster?" he said, amazed. "I was only joking …" **

**He hurried through the gap in the walls and stepped onto the foot of a spiral stone staircase, which moved slowly upward as the doors closed behind him, taking him up to a polished oak door with a brass door knocker. **

**He could hear voices from inside the office. He stepped off the moving staircase and hesitated, listening. **

"Eavesdropping again, Potter," George shook his head.

"**Dumbledore, I'm afraid I don't see the connection, don't see it at all!" It was the voice of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. "Ludo says Berthas perfectly capable of getting herself lost. I agree we would have expected to have found her by now, but all the same, we've no evidence of foul play, Dumbledore, none at all. As for her disappearance being linked with Barty Crouch's!" **

"But they are connected," Tonks groaned. "I can see why Fudge wouldn't think so though. It only makes sense because of everything Harry has seen and heard."

"**And what do you thinks happened to Barty Crouch, Minister?" said Moody's growling voice. **

"**I see two possibilities, Alastor," said Fudge. "Either Crouch has finally cracked – more than likely, I'm sure you'll agree, given his personal history – **

"If the man was going to crack, why would it be now," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**lost his mind, and gone wandering off somewhere –" **

"**He wandered extremely quickly, if that is the case, Cornelius," said Dumbledore calmly. **

"**Or else – well …" Fudge sounded embarrassed. "Well, I'll reserve judgment until after I've seen the place where he was found, but you say it was just past the Beauxbatons carriage? Dumbledore, you know what that woman is?" **

Arthur sighed, he had to deal with Fudge's viewpoints and how he was predetermined to think lowly of anyone that wasn't a wizard.

"He's blaming Madame Maxime just because it was near her carriage!" Hermione asked in disgust.

"Yes," Teddy said in an angry tone.

"**I consider her to be a very able headmistress - and an excellent dancer," said Dumbledore quietly. **

"**Dumbledore, come!" said Fudge angrily. "Don't you think you might be prejudiced in her favor because of Hagrid? **

Several people snorted bitterly at Fudge's use of the word prejudice, as it was clear that he was the one that was being prejudice.

**They don't all turn out harmless – if, indeed, you can call Hagrid harmless, with that monster fixation he's got -" **

"**I no more suspect Madame Maxime than Hagrid," said Dumbledore, just as calmly. "I think it possible that it is you who are prejudiced, Cornelius." **

"I'm surprised that he's not just blaming Hagrid too … the carriage is near his cabin too, isn't it," Hermione said bitterly.

"**Can we wrap up this discussion?" growled Moody. **

"**Yes, yes, let's go down to the grounds, then," said Fudge impatiently. **

"**No, it's not that," said Moody, "it's just that Potter wants a word with you, Dumbledore. He's just outside the door." **

"Busted!" Fred and George chorused.

"That was the end of the chapter," Ginny said, handing the book to Fred.


	32. The Pensieve

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty-Two

The Pensieve

"**The Pensieve," **Fred read.

"A pensieve?" Remus repeated, "I wonder if that means Dumbledore will want to see the dream Harry had."

"How could he see that?" Harry asked.

"With a pensieve," Fred said as if that was obvious.

"What's a pensieve?" Harry asked next, but otherwise ignored Fred's comment.

"It's a device one would use to look at a memory," Remus said. "And I was just thinking that perhaps Dumbledore would want to see your dream so he would see all the details. Though I'm not sure if that was the cause."

"Oh," Harry said, not really sure he would want his memory to be looked at by anyone else.

**The door of the office opened.**

"**Hello, Potter," said Moody. "Come in, then."**

**Harry walked inside. He had been inside Dumbledore's office once before; it was a very beautiful, circular room, lined with pictures of previous headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts, all of whom were fast asleep, their chests rising and falling gently.**

"Be grateful that they are asleep, they're really annoying when they're awake," Sirius said.

"Don't mind him, he's only saying that because his great-great-grandfather was a head master …" Remus started to explain.

"Oh I hate Phineas, too!" Tonks exclaimed, "He always has a snide comment to make … saying it was a shame that I was the one to get the metamorphmagus ability."

"Bloody prick," Sirius grumbled.

**Cornelius Fudge was standing beside Dumbledore's desk, wearing his usual pinstriped cloak and holding his lime-green bowler hat.**

"**Harry!" said Fudge jovially, moving forward. "How are you?"**

"**Fine," Harry lied.**

"**We were just talking about the night when Mr. Crouch turned up on the grounds," said Fudge. "It was you who found him, was it not?"**

"**Yes," said Harry. Then, feeling it was pointless to pretend that he hadn't overheard what they had been saying, he added, "I didn't see Madame Maxime anywhere, though, and she'd have a job hiding, wouldn't she?"**

"Well she might have had an invisibility blanket," Fred said.

**Dumbledore smiled at Harry behind Fudge's back, his eyes twinkling.**

"**Yes, well," said Fudge, looking embarrassed, "we're about to go for a short walk on the grounds, Harry, if you'll excuse us … perhaps if you just go back to your class -"**

"Yes, because Harry just showed up to eavesdrop on you and tell you that it wasn't likely Madame Maxime," George said sarcastically. "He couldn't possibly be there for another reason."

"**I wanted to talk to you. Professor," Harry said quickly, looking at Dumbledore, who gave him a swift, searching look.**

"**Wait here for me, Harry," he said. "Our examination of the grounds will not take long."**

**They trooped out in silence past him and closed the door. After a minute or so, Harry heard the clunks of Moody's wooden leg growing fainter in the corridor below. He looked around.**

"**Hello, Fawkes," he said.**

**Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's phoenix, was standing on his golden perch beside the door. The size of a swan, with magnificent scarlet-and-gold plumage, he swished his long tail and blinked benignly at Harry.**

**Harry sat down in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. For several minutes, he sat and watched the old headmasters and headmistresses snoozing in their frames, thinking about what he had just heard, and running his fingers over his scar. It had stopped hurting now.**

"Hm … maybe you could use a bit of chatting from the old headmasters," Sirius said sadly, not sure if he liked that Harry's thoughts were lingering on the dream and thought he could use a distraction.

**He felt much calmer, somehow, now that he was in Dumbledore's office, knowing he would shortly be telling him about the dream. Harry looked up at the walls behind the desk. The patched and ragged Sorting Hat was standing on a shelf. A glass case next to it held a magnificent silver sword with large rubies set into the hilt, which Harry recognized as the one he himself had pulled out of the Sorting Hat in his second year. The sword had once belonged to Godric Gryffindor, founder of Harry's House. He was gazing at it, remembering how it had come to his aid when he had thought all hope was lost, when he noticed a patch of silvery light, dancing and shimmering on the glass case. He looked around for the source of the light and saw a sliver of silver-white shining brightly from within a black cabinet behind him, whose door had not been closed properly. Harry hesitated, glanced at Fawkes, then got up, walked across the office, and pulled open the cabinet door.**

"Harry you shouldn't snoop around Dumbledore's office," Molly shook her head.

"Sorry," Harry responded. "But it is curious … what's making that light …"

"If I'd have to guess, I'd say it was a pensieve," Ron reasoned. "Seeing as it's the title and all."

"Er … yeah that's what I was thinking too," Harry said.

"Sure you were, Harry," Ron laughed. "At least it seems like Remus might have been wrong about you sharing your memories."

**A shallow stone basin lay there, with odd carvings around the edge: runes and symbols that Harry did not recognize. **

"That's probably because you don't take Ancient Ruins," Fred said.

**The silvery light was coming from the basin's contents, which were like nothing Harry had ever seen before. He could not tell whether the substance was liquid or gas. It was a bright, whitish silver, and it was moving ceaselessly; the surface of it became ruffled like water beneath wind, ****and then, like clouds, separated and swirled smoothly. It looked like light made liquid – or like wind made solid - Harry couldn't make up his mind. **

"That's a really good description of what memories look like," Remus said nodding his head, visualizing easy the last time he had used a pensieve.

"We'll have to take your word for that," Bill said, he had never had the opportunity to use one, much like most of the people in the room.  
**He wanted to touch it, to find out what it felt like, but nearly four years' experience of the magical world told him that sticking his hand into a bowl full of some unknown substance was a very stupid thing to do. He therefore **

"… put his hand in anyways," Fred said as he was reading.

"It doesn't say that," Harry protested.

"No, it doesn't, but you have to admit that you'd likely do that," Fred said.

"Would not," Harry protested again, and then glared at Ron and Hermione laughed. "Traitors."

**pulled his wand out of the inside of his robes, cast a nervous look around the office, looked back at the contents of the basin, and prodded them.**

**The surface of the silvery stuff inside the basin began to swirl very fast. Harry bent closer, his head right inside the cabinet. The silvery substance had become transparent; it looked like glass. He looked down into it expecting to see the stone bottom of the basin – and saw instead an enormous room below the surface of the mysterious substance, a room into which he seemed to be looking through a circular window in the ceiling.**

**The room was dimly lit; he thought it might even be underground, for there were no windows, merely torches in brackets such as the ones that illuminated the walls of Hogwarts. Lowering his face so that his nose was a mere inch away from the glassy substance, Harry saw that rows and rows of witches and wizards were seated around every wall on what seemed to be benches rising in levels. **

"Oh … it's the courtroom," Tonks said as she realized what Harry was looking at.

"Courtroom?" Harry asked her.

"It's in the Ministry, I've been there while training as a Auror," Tonks explained.

**An empty chair stood in the very center of the room. There was something about the chair that gave Harry an ominous feeling. Chains encircled the arms of it, as though its occupants were usually tied to it.**

"It sounds like you're in one of the bigger courtrooms," Arthur said, "the one that the more important trials takes place."

**Where was this place? It surely wasn't Hogwarts; he had never seen a room like that here in the castle. Moreover, the crowd in the mysterious room at the bottom of the basin was comprised of adults, and Harry knew there were not nearly that many teachers at Hogwarts. They seemed, he thought, to be waiting for something; even though he could only see the tops of their hats, all of their faces seemed to be pointing in one direction, and none of them were talking to one another.**

Tonks and Arthur both frowned, they had both been to their share of court caused and there has never been a case where the people were so quite. Whatever Harry was about to see, was going to be a really big case and was probably going to be in a more chaotic time.

**The basin being circular, and the room he was observing square, Harry could not make out what was going on in the corners of it. He leaned even closer, tilting his head, trying to see …**

**The tip of his nose touched the strange substance into which he was staring. **

"See, told you, you were going to go into it anyways," Fred laughed as Harry made a face.

"The good news is that you wouldn't be in physical danger," Remus sighed, shaking his head.

**Dumbledore's office gave an almighty lurch – Harry was thrown forward and pitched headfirst into the substance inside the basin – But his head did not hit the stone bottom. He was falling through something icycold and black; it was like being sucked into a dark whirlpool –**

**And suddenly, Harry found himself sitting on a bench at the end of the room inside the basin, a bench raised high above the others. He looked up at the high stone ceiling, expecting to see the circular window through which he had just been staring, but there was nothing there but dark, solid stone.**

"No, you won't be able to see to the real world while you're in the pensieve," Remus said.

"How will I get out of there?" Harry asked.

"Well the way you do it is thinking about getting out of it," Remus said. "It not very difficult, though it would be better if you knew how to get out before getting yourself in to this."

"Yes, that would be better, but Harry never thinking about getting out of trouble … only into it," Hermione said with a sigh.

**Breathing hard and fast Harry looked around him. Not one of the witches and wizards in the room (and there were at least two hundred of them) was looking at him. Not one of them seemed to have noticed that a fourteen-year-old boy had just dropped from the ceiling into their midst. **

"Well of course they didn't know you, this is a memory, Harry," Ginny told him.

"Well I know that here, after what Remus has said, but I couldn't have known it in the book," Harry pointed out.

"Which only makes it worst that you have gone head first into the pensieve," Sirius said shaking his head, "sometimes Harry, I think you're even more reckless than I am."

"And that's saying something," Remus said, not sure if he could argue with his friend or not.

**Harry turned to the wizard next to him on the bench and uttered a loud cry of surprise that reverberated around the silent room.**

**He was sitting right next to Albus Dumbledore.**

"That makes sense, seeing as it's probably Dumbledore's memory that you're looking at," Hermione reasoned.

"**Professor!" Harry said in a kind of strangled whisper. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to – I was just looking at that basin in your cabinet – I – where are we?"**

"You can't even finish your apology before you let your curiosity take over," George laughed.

**But Dumbledore didn't move or speak. He ignored Harry completely. Like every other wizard on the benches, he was staring into the far corner of the room, where there was a door.**

**Harry gazed, nonplussed, at Dumbledore, then around at the silently watchful crowd, then back at Dumbledore. And then it dawned on him …**

"Wow, how quick of you, Potter, you figured it out already," Draco said snidely.

**Once before Harry had found himself somewhere that nobody could see or hear him. That time, he had fallen through a page in an enchanted diary, right into somebody else's memory … and unless he was very much mistaken, something of the sort had happened again …**

Ginny shuddered as she listened to Harry talk about the diary.

Harry looked at her and frowned, he wondered if she too had gone into the diary and watched a scene of Tom Riddles past or if it was just the mention of the diary that made her look pale.

**Harry raised his right hand, hesitated, and then waved it energetically in front of Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore did not blink, look around at Harry, or indeed move at all. And that, in Harry's opinion, settled the matter. Dumbledore wouldn't ignore him like that. He was inside a memory, and this was not the present-day Dumbledore. Yet it couldn't be that long ago… the Dumbledore sitting next to him now was silver-haired, just like the present-day Dumbledore. **

"Dumbledore looked like he does now when we went to school," Sirius supplied.

"I remember his hair being a slightly reddish when we were at school," Arthur said.

"Not so much by the time we finished," Molly added.

"I supposed that means it doesn't really narrow the timeline down too much than," Harry sighed.

**But what was this place? What were all these wizards waiting for? Harry looked around more carefully. The room, as he had suspected when observing it from above, was almost certainly underground – more of a dungeon than a room, he thought. There was a bleak and forbidding air about the place; there were no pictures on the walls, no decorations at all; just these serried rows of benches, rising in levels all around the room, all positioned so that they had a clear view of that chair with the chains on its arms.**

**Before Harry could reach any conclusions about the place in which they were, he heard footsteps. The door in the corner of the dungeon opened and three people entered – or at least one man, flanked by two dementors.**

Sirius grimaced darkly, this was a serious case indeed … something which he never got to go through.

**Harry's insides went cold. The dementors – tall, hooded creatures whose faces were concealed – were gliding slowly toward the chair in the center of the room, each grasping one of the man's arms with their dead and rotten-looking hands. The man between them looked as though he was about to faint, and Harry couldn't blame him … he knew the dementors could not touch him inside a memory, but he remembered their power only too well. The watching crowd recoiled slightly as the dementors placed the man in the chained chair and glided back out of the room. The door swung shut behind them.**

"Does that mean that there isn't a patronus to make sure the normal people weren't affected by the dementors?" Ginny asked, she hated dementors nearly as much as Harry did. It always made her think of the year with Tom … how easily she was fooled … and how helpless she was under his control …

"No, as you can see they aren't staying, so there's no really need to use a patronus," Arthur answered his daughter with a concern look.

**Harry looked down at the man now sitting in the chair and saw that it was Karkaroff.**

"Oh … this will be interesting," Sirius said, his expression still dark and that wasn't likely going to change while this chapter continued. He just felt a lot of his bitterness bubble up as he thought about never getting his chance to even defend himself.

**Unlike Dumbledore, Karkaroff looked much younger; his hair and goatee were black. He was not dressed in sleek furs, but in thin and ragged robes. He was shaking. Even as Harry watched, the chains on the arms of the chair glowed suddenly gold and snaked their way up Karkaroff's arms, binding him there.**

"Do they need the chains?" Harry asked. "Is he dangerous."

"I don't think they're there to keep him in the seat," Tonks said, "If they were the dementors would have stayed as well. If I had to guess he was chained more to intimidate him than anything else."

"**Igor Karkaroff," said a curt voice to Harry's left. Harry looked around and saw Mr. Crouch standing up in the middle of the bench beside him. Crouch's hair was dark, his face was much less lined, he looked fit and alert. "You have been brought from Azkaban to present evidence to the Ministry of Magic. You have given us to understand that you have important information for us."**

**Karkaroff straightened himself as best he could, tightly bound to the chair.**

"**I have, sir," he said, and although his voice was very scared, Harry could still hear the familiar unctuous note in it. "I wish to be of use to the Ministry. I wish to help. I – I know that the Ministry is trying to – to round up the last of the Dark Lords supporters. I am eager to assist in any way I can …"**

"What did he do … as a Death Eater, what did he do?" Harry asked.

"I couldn't tell you," Sirius said, "with their mask on you couldn't really tell who was who. There were only a few of the Death Eaters that were happy to be known as his followers … or more like they were openly known. Voldemort enjoyed having his Death Eaters being ominous so it would make everyone wonder who they could trust or not."

**There was a murmur around the benches. Some of the wizards and witches were surveying Karkaroff with interest, others with pronounced mistrust. Then Harry heard, quite distinctly, from Dumbledores other side, a familiar, growling voice saying, "Filth."**

"I couldn't agree with him more," Sirius muttered bitterly.

**Harry leaned forward so that he could see past Dumbledore. Mad-Eye Moody was sitting there – except that there was a very noticeable difference in his appearance. He did not have his magical eye, but two normal ones. **

"Is it weird that it's hard for me to picture him with two eyes," Tonks mused out loud. For the years that she knew the old grizzly wizards she had gotten to his magical eye constantly whirling around scanning for danger.

**Both were looking down upon Karkaroff, and both were narrowed in intense dislike.**

"**Crouch is going to let him out," Moody breathed quietly to Dumbledore. "He's done a deal with him. Took me six months to track him down, and Crouch is going to let him go if he's got enough new names. Let's hear his information, I say, and throw him straight back to the dementors."**

"I agree with that," Tonks said.

"It was important to get new names, and have more of the Death Eaters captured," Arthur said with a sigh. He didn't really think Karkaroff should have been release, "as bad as it was that he was able to be freed, the fact is that he would never be able to be a Death Eater again after this. If You-Know-Who ever regains power …" he went on to say and shuddered at his own words, "Karkaroff would likely be one of his top targets."

**Dumbledore made a small noise of dissent through his long, crooked nose. "Ah, I was forgetting … you don't like the dementors, do you, Albus?" said Moody with a sardonic smile.**

"Who likes the dementors?" Harry asked looked disgusted at the idea.

"There are actually a lot of people that like the dementors, or at least the idea of the dementors guarding the prisoners at Azkaban," Bill said.

"Yeah, those would be the people that haven't actually met a dementor face to face," Tonks said. "I don't really have any bad memories and they still give me chills."

"**No," said Dumbledore calmly, "I'm afraid I don't. I have long felt the Ministry is wrong to ally itself with such creatures."**

"**But for filth like this …" Moody said softly.**

"**You say you have names for us, Karkaroff," said Mr. Crouch. "Let us hear them, please."**

"**You must understand," said Karkaroff hurriedly, "that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named operated always in the greatest secrecy … He preferred that we – I mean to say, his supporters – and I regret now, very deeply, that I ever counted myself among them – "**

"**Get on with it," sneered Moody.**

"**- we never knew the names of every one of our fellows – He alone knew exactly who we all were – "**

"Which was obviously a good move seeing as there's weakly like this guy that willing to sell out anyone to keep himself out of prison," Bill said.

"**Which was a wise move, wasn't it, as it prevented someone like you, Karkaroff, from turning all of them in," muttered Moody.**

"Oh poor Billy boy, you're thinking like the crazy old Auror," George said.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Bill said unfazed by what his brother said.

"**Yet you say you have some names for us?" said Mr. Crouch.**

"**I – I do," said Karkaroff breathlessly. "And these were important supporters, mark you. People I saw with my own eyes doing his bidding. **

"Because you were out there doing his bidding alongside them," Sirius growled, his temper rising as this chapter went on. "I wonder if I would have said I had names of Death Eaters they would have let me go. I could have name several people that we knew were Death Eaters that the Ministry had missed."

A few people shifted in their seats, knowing that there was no way that Sirius would have been given a bargain like this because the crime he had committed (or thought to have committed) was unforgivable.

**I give this information as a sign that I fully and totally renounce him, and am filled with a remorse so deep I can barely –"**

"**These names are?" said Mr. Crouch sharply.**

**Karkaroff drew a deep breath.**

"**There was Antonin Dolohov," he said. **

Molly's mouth closed tightly as she heard this name that she associated so closely to her bothers' deaths. Arthur wrapped his arms around to try and give her some comfort, though she didn't really seem to notice.

**"I – I saw him torture countless Muggles and – and non-supporters of the Dark Lord."**

Molly closed her eyes, hoping that her bothers hadn't been tortured by him, but she would never know the answer to that.

"**And helped him do it," murmured Moody.**

"**We have already apprehended Dolohov," said Crouch. "He was caught shortly after yourself."**

"**Indeed?" said Karkaroff, his eyes widening. "I – I am delighted to hear it!"**

**But he didn't look it. Harry could tell that this news had come as a real blow to him. One of his names was worthless.**

"**Any others?" said Crouch coldly.**

"**Why, yes … there was Rosier," said Karkaroff hurriedly. "Evan Rosier."**

"**Rosier is dead," said Crouch. "He was caught shortly after you were too. He preferred to fight rather than come quietly and was killed in the struggle."**

"**Took a bit of me with him, though," whispered Moody to Harry's right. Harry looked around at him once more, and saw him indicating the large chunk out of his nose to Dumbledore.**

"**No – no more than Rosier deserved!" said Karkaroff, a real note of panic in his voice now.**

**Harry could see that he was starting to worry that none of his information would be of any use to the Ministry. Karkaroff's eyes darted toward the door in the corner, behind which the dementors undoubtedly still stood, waiting.**

"Smarmy git," Sirius grumbled.

"**Any more?" said Crouch.**

"**Yes!" said Karkaroff. "There was Travers – he helped murder the McKinnons! Mulciber - he specialized in the Imperius Curse, forced countless people to do horrific things! Rookwood, who was a spy, and passed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named useful information from inside the Ministry itself!"**

**Harry could tell that, this time, Karkaroff had struck gold. The watching crowd was all murmuring together.**

"Was Rookwood important in the Ministry?" Harry asked.

"He wasn't one of the top Ministry officials … he wasn't a head of his department … but he knew a lot of people, and a lot about the workings of the Ministry itself," Arthur answered. "He always seemed nice and was easy to talk to," he added sadly.

"It sounds like you knew him?" Sirius noted.

"Not well, but I did see him from time to time," Arthur said.

"**Rookwood?" said Mr. Crouch, nodding to a witch sitting in front of him, who began scribbling upon her piece of parchment. "Augustus Rookwood of the Department of Mysteries?"**

"**The very same," said Karkaroff eagerly. "I believe he used a network of wellplaced wizards, both inside the Ministry and out, to collect information –"**

"**But Travers and Mulciber we have," said Mr. Crouch. "Very well, Karkaroff, if that is all, you will be returned to Azkaban while we decide –"**

"As if he needed to decide … the Rookwood find was much bigger than Crouch thought he would get," Sirius hissed.

"**Not yet!" cried Karkaroff, looking quite desperate. "Wait, I have more!"**

**Harry could see him sweating in the torchlight, his white skin contrasting strongly with the black of his hair and beard.**

"**Snape!" he shouted. "Severus Snape!"**

"Snape was a Death Eater," Sirius said, surprised and yet not shocked by that.

"**Snape has been cleared by this council," said Crouch disdainfully. "He has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore."**

"**No!" shouted Karkaroff, straining at the chains that bound him to the chair. "I assure you! Severus Snape is a Death Eater!"**

**Dumbledore had gotten to his feet.**

"**I have given evidence already on this matter," he said calmly. "Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort's downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am."**

"Bloody Dumbledore, how could he vouch for Snape if he was ever a Death Eater," Sirius spat bitterly. "I don't see how he could ever trust that slimy git."

"Dumbledore must have his reasons," Remus said with a grim look. He didn't particularly like this news either, but he trust that Dumbledore was looking at the bigger picture and seeing more.

"I don't think his reasons should get in the way of justice," Sirius said.

"If he had switch sides, had turned spy, then he wouldn't deserve to be imprisoned," Remus argued, he couldn't help but think of Peter turning spy and how very damaging that was for them. If Snape give the Order information like that then he might have saved lives.

**Harry turned to look at Mad-Eye Moody. He was wearing a look of deep skepticism behind Dumbledore's back.**

"See, Moody agrees with me!" Sirius said.

"Well Moody never fully trusts anyone," Tonks said, "so a proven Death Eater that switch sides wouldn't really scream trustworthy to him."

"Exactly," Sirius nodded his head.

"**Very well, Karkaroff," Crouch said coldly, "you have been of assistance. I shall review your case. You will return to Azkaban in the meantime …"**

**Mr. Crouch's voice faded. Harry looked around; the dungeon was dissolving as though it were made of smoke; everything was fading; he could see only his own body – all else was swirling darkness …**

**And then, the dungeon returned. Harry was sitting in a different seat, still on the highest bench, but now to the left side of Mr. Crouch. The atmosphere seemed quite different: relaxed, even cheerful. **

"Does it really say cheerful?" Bill looked at Fred skeptically, that didn't seem to go with the tone of the cases that Dumbledore would be looking over right now.

"Yes it does," Fred chuckled, enjoying the fact that people had to question him because he's known to try to trick everyone.

"Why would there be a cheerful case in this room?" Bill wondered.

"There's not supposed to be," Arthur said, "I would guess it has something to do with who being questioned ..."

**The witches and wizards all around the walls were talking to one another, almost as though they were at some sort of sporting event. Harry noticed a witch halfway up the rows of benches opposite.**

**She had short blonde hair, was wearing magenta robes, and was sucking the end of an acid-green quill. It was, unmistakably, a younger Rita Skeeter. **

"Well there goes all the cheerfulness you were talking about," Hermione muttered making a face.

**Harry looked around; Dumbledore was sitting beside him again, wearing different robes. Mr. Crouch looked more tired and somehow fiercer, gaunter … **

"So the more cheerful everyone else, the worst Crouch looks," George teased, "that sounds about right."

"Shut up!" Percy said sounding harsh, but he really was still upset about what had happened to his boss in this book.

**Harry understood. It was a different memory, a different day … a different trial.**

**The door in the corner opened, and Ludo Bagman walked into the room.**

"Bagman?!" several people said in shock.

"He was a Death Eater!" Harry gasped, but no one responded to him.

**This was not, however, a Ludo Bagman gone to seed, but a Ludo Bagman who was clearly at the height of his Quidditch-playing fitness. His nose wasn't broken now; he was tall and lean and muscular. Bagman looked nervous as he sat down in the chained chair, but it did not bind him there as it had bound Karkaroff, and Bagman, perhaps taking heart from this, glanced around at the watching crowd, waved at a couple of them, and managed a small smile.**

"The chains didn't bind him," Tonks repeated out loud.

"Does that mean anything to you?" Teddy asked her, he had been trying to stay quiet but he was interested in all the things she had to say about these kinds of things.

"Well if they were trying to be psychological it might mean that they were trying to make him feel at ease," Tonks answered, "but more likely than not, it means that they don't really think he's a Death Eater."

"You think so?" Teddy said.

"I don't things would be so cheerful if they thought he was a Death Eaters," Tonks shrugged. "I would guess everyone would be remorseful or gloomy."

"**Ludo Bagman, you have been brought here in front of the Council of Magical Law to answer charges relating to the activities of the Death Eaters," said Mr. Crouch. "We have heard the ****evidence against you, and are about to reach our verdict. Do you have anything to add to your testimony before we pronounce judgment?"**

**Harry couldn't believe his ears. Ludo Bagman, a Death Eater?**

"**Only," said Bagman, smiling awkwardly, "well – I know I've been a bit of an idiot –"**

"That's not hard to believe," George commented.

**One or two wizards and witches in the surrounding seats smiled indulgently. Mr. Crouch did not appear to share their feelings. He was staring down at Ludo Bagman with an expression of the utmost severity and dislike.**

"**You never spoke a truer word, boy," someone muttered dryly to Dumbledore behind Harry. He looked around and saw Moody sitting there again. "If I didn't know he'd always been dim, I'd have said some of those Bludgers had permanently affected his brain …"**

"Well he has been hit with bludgers all of his life, so maybe they had," Fred reasoned.

"**Ludovic Bagman, you were caught passing information to Lord Voldemort's supporters," said Mr. Crouch. "For this, I suggest a term of imprisonment in Azkaban lasting no less than –"**

**But there was an angry outcry from the surrounding benches. Several of the witches and wizards around the walls stood up, shaking their heads, and even their fists, at Mr. Crouch.**

"Maybe this is why Crouch looks so angry, he doesn't like to be on the unpopular side of a case, and he probably thinks that the others are only taking Bagman's side because he's a Quidditch player," Sirius said.

"Do think that's what happened?" Neville asked, he didn't want to think of any of the Death Eaters getting off for a reason like this.

"I have no idea," Sirius shrugged.

"**But I've told you, I had no idea!" Bagman called earnestly over the crowd's babble, his round blue eyes widening. "None at all! Old Rookwood was a friend of my dad's … never crossed my mind he was in with You-Know-Who! I thought I was collecting information for our side! And Rookwood kept talking about getting me a job in the Ministry later on … once my Quidditch days are over, you know … I mean, I can't keep getting hit by Bludgers for the rest of my life, can I?"**

"I still don't know the truth, but what he said does sound likely to be true," Sirius added this time and that did seem to be the opinion of most in the room.

**There were titters from the crowd.**

"**It will be put to the vote," said Mr. Crouch coldly. He turned to the right-hand side of the dungeon. "The jury will please raise their hands … those in favor of imprisonment …"**

**Harry looked toward the right-hand side of the dungeon. Not one person raised their hand. Many of the witches and wizards around the walls began to clap. One of the witches on the jury stood up.**

"**Yes?" barked Crouch.**

"**We'd just like to congratulate Mr. Bagman on his splendid performance for England in the Quidditch match against Turkey last Saturday," the witch said breathlessly.**

"Whether he was a Death Eater or not, it's ridiculous for the witches and wizards to act like that," Percy said annoyed by their behavior. "The fame of a person shouldn't make this herring seem like a joke."

**Mr. Crouch looked furious. **

"You and Crouch really do belong together Perce," Fred rolled his eyes.

**The dungeon was ringing with applause now. Bagman got to his feet and bowed, beaming.**

"**Despicable," Mr. Crouch spat at Dumbledore, sitting down as Bagman walked out of the dungeon. "Rookwood get him a job indeed … The day Ludo Bagman joins us will be a sad day indeed for the Ministry …"**

This actually caused a few people to laugh a little, as obviously Bagman had not only joined the Ministry but was now a head of one of the departments.

**And the dungeon dissolved again. When it had returned, Harry looked around. He and Dumbledore were still sitting beside Mr. Crouch, but the atmosphere could not have been more different. There was total silence, broken only by the dry sobs of a frail, wispy-looking witch in the seat next to Mr. Crouch. She was clutching a handkerchief to her mouth with trembling hands.**

**Harry looked up at Crouch and saw that he looked gaunter and grayer than ever before. A nerve was twitching in his temple.**

"**Bring them in," he said, and his voice echoed through the silent dungeon.**

**The door in the corner opened yet again. Six dementors entered this time, flanking a group of four people. Harry saw the people in the crowd turn to look up at Mr. Crouch. A few of them whispered to one another.**

**The dementors placed each of the four people in the four chairs with chained arms that now stood on the dungeon floor. There was a thickset man who stared blankly up at Crouch; a thinner and more nervous-looking man, whose eyes were darting around the crowd; a woman with thick, shining dark hair and heavily hooded eyes, who was sitting in the chained chair as though it were a throne; **

Sirius growled, he knew who this woman was, needing no more description.

Neville felt his heart hammer in his chest though he tried not to think too hard about why … he tried hard not to think about what this case was about.

**and a boy in his late teens, who looked nothing short of petrified. He was shivering, his strawcolored hair all over his face, his freckled skin milk-white. The wispy little witch beside Crouch began to rock backward and forward in her seat whimpering into her handkerchief.**

**Crouch stood up. He looked down upon the four in front of him, and there was pure hatred in his face.**

"**You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law," he said clearly, "so that we may pass judgment on you, for a crime so heinous -"**

"**Father," said the boy with the straw-colored hair. "Father … please …"**

Neville now closed his eyes and clutched his mouth shut. Part of him wanted to leave the room, not wanting to hear what this trial was like, but the other parted needed to know.

Everyone else in the room seemed to be interested in hearing this case, as there was a questioned about whether Crouch's son was innocent or not and this would give them some insight into the answer of that.

"**- that we have rarely heard the like of it within this court," said Crouch, speaking more loudly, drowning out his son's voice.**

"**We have heard the evidence against you. The four of you stand accused of capturing an Auror – Frank Longbottom – and subjecting him to the Cruciatus Curse, believing him to have knowledge of the present whereabouts of your exiled master, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named -"**

Neville stiffened farther in his seat, his eyes becoming both terrified and angry at the same time.

"**Father, I didn't!" shrieked the boy in chains below. "I didn't, I swear it. Father, don't send me back to the dementors -"**

"**You are further accused," bellowed Mr. Crouch, "of using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank Longbottom's wife, when he would not give you information. **

All of Neville's friends were finding it hard not to react to the continued information about what had happened to his parents. They could tell that this was already really hard on Neville to listen to as his expression turned hard and they felt as if they were to react that it would only make things harder on Neville.

**You planned to restore He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to power, and to resume the lives of violence you presumably led while he was strong. I now ask the jury -"**

"**Mother!" screamed the boy below, and the wispy little witch beside Crouch began to sob, rocking backward and forward. "Mother, stop him. Mother, I didn't do it, it wasn't me!"**

"**I now ask the jury," shouted Mr. Crouch, "to raise their hands if they believe, as I do, that these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban!"**

**In unison, the witches and wizards along the right-hand side of the dungeon raised their hands. The crowd around the walls began to clap as it had for Bagman, their faces full of savage triumph. The boy began to scream. "No! Mother, no! I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't know! Don't send me there, don't let him!"**

This reaction from the boy had several people shuddering and feeling sorry for him. Many of them thought about turning their backs on their family member or having their family turn their backs on them. It would be a horrible to be cased away by your father as this boy was.

However, looking at Neville, who was deeply effected by what had been done, it was hard to not think about what the crime was and if the boy was involved he it was better that he didn't have support from his father.

**The dementors were gliding back into the room. The boys' three companions rose quietly from their seats; the woman with the heavy-lidded eyes looked up at Crouch and called, "The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"**

Sirius wasn't too surprised that his growl this time was accompanied by Neville who looked murderously at the book. It was very easy to hate Bellatrix.

**But the boy was trying to fight off the dementors, even though Harry could see their cold, draining power starting to affect him. The crowd was jeering, some of them on their feet, as the ****woman swept out of the dungeon, and the boy continued to struggle.**

"Is she affected by the dementors?" Neville asked in a harsh tone, by the way she was smiling and acting it didn't seem like it.

"Everyone is effected by them," Sirius answered. "She was driven mad … even madder than she was before going there, or so it seems the times I saw her there."

"That's not what I was asking," Neville said coldly.

"I know," Sirius sighed, "I couldn't tell you what the dementors make her see or remember. She never felt remorse in her life so she might not be as affected by them as she deserves."

Neville's look became darker, but he appreciated that Sirius was honest with him and not just told him what he wanted to hear.

"**I'm your son!" he screamed up at Crouch. "I'm your son!"**

This statement, in Neville's dark mood, made him feel more convince that this boy wasn't innocent. It just seemed like he was trying to get off by trying to appeal to his father. Other might not feel the same way, but he couldn't help but hate this boy, and may that was just because he hated that he was on the scene at all.

"**You are no son of mine!" bellowed Mr. Crouch, his eyes bulging suddenly. "I have no son!"**

**The wispy witch beside him gave a great gasp and slumped in her seat. She had fainted. Crouch appeared not to have noticed.**

"**Take them away!" Crouch roared at the dementors, spit flying from his mouth. "Take them away, and may they rot there!"**

"**Father! Father, I wasn't involved! No! No! Father, please!"**

Molly whimpered, listening to this was just so sad to her.

"**I think Harry, it is time to return to my office," said a quiet voice in Harrys ear.**

**Harry started. He looked around. Then he looked on his other side.**

**There was an Albus Dumbledore sitting on his right, watching Crouch's son being dragged away by the dementors – and there was an Albus Dumbledore on his left, looking right at him.**

"The right one must be the really Dumbledore," Fred said, in a forced cheerful voice as he tried to lighten the thick tension that was building in this room. No one seemed to be paying that remark any attention though they were looking at him to continue reading.

"**Come," said the Dumbledore on his left, and he put his hand under Harrys elbow. Harry felt himself rising into the air; the dungeon dissolved around him; for a moment, all was blackness, and then he felt as though he had done a slow-motion somersault, suddenly landing flat on his feet, in what seemed like the dazzling light of Dumbledore's sunlit office. The stone basin was shimmering in the cabinet in front of him, and Albus Dumbledore was standing beside him.**

"**Professor," Harry gasped, "I know I shouldn't've – I didn't mean – the cabinet door was sort of open and -"**

"**I quite understand," said Dumbledore. **

Molly shook her head this time, Dumbledore really shouldn't let Harry get off that easily after he had looked into his cabinet.

**He lifted the basin, carried it over to his desk, placed it upon the polished top, and sat down in the chair behind it. He motioned for Harry to sit down opposite him.**

**Harry did so, staring at the stone basin. The contents had returned to their original, silvery-white state, swirling and rippling beneath his gaze.**

"**What is it?" Harry asked shakily.**

"**This? It is called a Pensieve," said Dumbledore. "I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind."**

"**Er," said Harry, who couldn't truthfully say that he had ever felt anything of the sort.**

Several people snorted at that, but Harry turned to Ron, who was laughing, and grumbled, "like you know what it feels like either."

"**At these times," said Dumbledore, indicating the stone basin, "I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form."**

"I can see how that would help," Hermione mumbled, it was easier to see patterns when you look at everything like this, organizing your thoughts outside of your own head …

"Of course you'd saw that," Ron mumbled rolling his eyes. "You probably understands what Dumbledore means about having too many thoughts."

"Well …" she started and Ron rolled his eyes again.

"**You mean … that stuff's your thoughts?" Harry said, staring at the swirling white substance in the basin.**

"**Certainly," said Dumbledore. "Let me show you."**

**Dumbledore drew his wand out of the inside of his robes and placed the tip into his own silvery hair, near his temple. When he took the wand away, hair seemed to be clinging to it – but then Harry saw that it was in fact a glistening strand of the same strange silvery-white substance that filled the Pensieve. Dumbledore added this fresh thought to the basin, and Harry, astonished, saw his own face swimming around the surface of the bowl. Dumbledore placed his long hands on either side of the Pensieve and swirled it, rather as a gold prospector would pan for fragments of gold … and Harry saw his own face change smoothly into Snape's, who opened his mouth and spoke to the ceiling, his voice echoing slightly.**

"**It's coming back … Karkaroff's too … stronger and clearer than ever …"**

"What's coming back?" Sirius questioned, thinking about how it was just confirmed that Karkaroff and Snape were connected by both being former Death Eaters. Still no one had an answer for what it was.

"**A connection I could have made without assistance," Dumbledore sighed, "but never mind." He peered over the top of his half-moon spectacles at Harry, who was gaping at Snape's face, which was continuing to swirl around the bowl. "I was using the Pensieve when Mr. Fudge arrived for our meeting and put it away rather hastily. Undoubtedly I did not fasten the cabinet door properly. Naturally, it would have attracted your attention."**

"**I'm sorry," Harry mumbled.**

**Dumbledore shook his head. "Curiosity is not a sin," he said. "But we should exercise caution with our curiosity … yes, indeed …"**

"That wasn't much of a reprimand," Fred snorted. "It almost seems like he liked that you were nosing around his business."

"That's ridiculous, why would Dumbledore what Harry to see his thoughts?" Molly hissed.

"I don't know," Fred said, "but must people wouldn't be so pleased by that, but Dumbledore is almost being cheerful."

**Frowning slightly, he prodded the thoughts within the basin with the tip of his wand. Instantly, a figure rose out of it, a plump, scowling girl of about sixteen, who began to revolve slowly, with her feet still in the basin. She took no notice whatsoever of Harry or Professor Dumbledore. When she spoke, her voice echoed as Snape's had done, as though it were coming from the depths of the stone basin.**

"**He put a hex on me, Professor Dumbledore, and I was only teasing him, sir, I only said I'd seen him kissing Florence behind the greenhouses last Thursday …"**

"**But why Bertha," said Dumbledore sadly, looking up at the now silently revolving girl, "why did you have to follow him in the first place?"**

"Because she's a nosy, curious, gossiper," Sirius answered, he had been on the bad end of her gossip before, though he wasn't the one she was talking about now.

"Well at least your not a gossiper, ah Harry," George said.

"**Bertha?" Harry whispered, looking up at her. "Is that – was that Bertha Jorkins?"**

"**Yes," said Dumbledore, prodding the thoughts in the basin again; Bertha sank back into them, and they became silvery and opaque once more. "That was Bertha as I remember her at school."**

**The silvery light from the Pensieve illuminated Dumbledore's face, and it struck Harry suddenly how very old he was looking. He knew, of course, that Dumbledore was getting on in years, but somehow he never really thought of Dumbledore as an old man.**

"That's because he's always so energetic and his eyes are twinkling," Tonks said.

"**So, Harry," said Dumbledore quietly. "Before you got lost in my thoughts, you wanted to tell me something."**

"**Yes," said Harry. "Professor – I was in Divination just now, and – er – I fell asleep."**

**He hesitated here, wondering if a reprimand was coming, but Dumbledore merely said, "Quite understandable. Continue."**

"Dumbledore really doesn't seem to know how to reprimand properly," George chuckled.

"On the contrary, when Dumbledore give you a proper reprimand, or at least lets you know you've disappointed him, he really makes you feel bad," Harry said.

"**Well, I had a dream," said Harry. "A dream about Lord Voldemort. He was torturing Wormtail … you know who Wormtail-"**

"**I do know," said Dumbledore promptly. "Please continue."**

"**Voldemort got a letter from an owl. He said something like, Wormtail's blunder had been repaired. He said someone was dead. Then he said, Wormtail wouldn't be fed to the snake – there was a snake beside his chair. He said – he said he'd be feeding me to it, instead. Then he did the Cruciatus Curse on Wormtail - and my scar hurt," Harry said. "It woke me up, it hurt so badly."**

**Dumbledore merely looked at him.**

"**Er – that's all," said Harry.**

"**I see," said Dumbledore quietly. "I see. Now, has your scar hurt at any other time this year, excepting the time it woke you up over the summer?"**

"**No, I – how did you know it woke me up over the summer?" said Harry, astonished.**

"He's Dumbledore … he's omniscient," Fred answered.

Now Harry usually did think Dumbledore knew everything, but this wasn't something that Dumbledore would just know, he had to be told about it.

"**You are not Sirius's only correspondent," said Dumbledore. **

"Or Sirius told on you," Fred added.

"I didn't tell on him," Sirius frowned, it sounded bad when Fred said it like that but he knew that this was something that Dumbledore should know. Not to mention if they were going to get any kind of answer, then Dumbledore was the one they should ask.

"It's probably a good thing you told him," Harry said to his upset godfather.

**"I have also been in contact with him ever since he left Hogwarts last year. It was I who suggested the mountainside cave as the safest place for him to stay."**

**Dumbledore got up and began walking up and down behind his desk. Every now and then, he placed his wand tip to his temple, removed another shining silver thought, and added it to the Pensieve. The thoughts inside began to swirl so fast that Harry couldn't make out anything clearly: It was merely a blur of color.**

"**Professor?" he said quietly, after a couple of minutes.**

**Dumbledore stopped pacing and looked at Harry.**

"**My apologies," he said quietly. He sat back down at his desk.**

"**D'you – d'you know why my scar's hurting me?"**

**Dumbledore looked very intently at Harry for a moment, and then said, "I have a theory, no more than that … It is my belief that your scar hurts both when Lord Voldemort is near you, and when he is feeling a particularly strong surge of hatred."**

"**But … why?"**

"**Because you and he are connected by the curse that failed," said Dumbledore. "That is no ordinary scar."**

Teddy thought of this answer, and how true it was but at the same time how much Dumbledore wasn't saying in this response.

"**So you think … that dream … did it really happen?"**

"**It is possible," said Dumbledore. "I would say – probable. Harry – did you see Voldemort?"**

"**No," said Harry. "Just the back of his chair. But – there wouldn't have been anything to see, would there? I mean, he hasn't got a body, has he? But … but then how could he have held the wand?" Harry said slowly.**

"**How indeed?" muttered Dumbledore. "How indeed …"**

**Neither Dumbledore nor Harry spoke for a while. Dumbledore was gazing across the room, and, every now and then, placing his wand tip to his temple and adding another shining silver thought ****to the seething mass within the Pensieve.**

"**Professor," Harry said at last, "do you think he's getting stronger?"**

"**Voldemort?" said Dumbledore, looking at Harry over the Pensieve. It was the characteristic, piercing look Dumbledore had given him on other occasions, and always made Harry feel as though Dumbledore were seeing right through him in a way that even Moody's magical eye could not. **

"Maybe he's sizing you up, trying to see if you ready to hear what he has to say," Ron said.

"Maybe," Harry said, feeling that Ron might have a point, but it annoyed him at the same time. He didn't like thinking that he wouldn't be told something because he was deemed to be too young or not ready to hear what was going to be said.

**"Once again Harry, I can only give you my suspicions."**

**Dumbledore sighed again, and he looked older, and wearier, than ever. "The years of Voldemort's ascent to power," he said, "were marked with disappearances. Bertha Jorkins has vanished without a trace in the place where Voldemort was certainly known to be last. Mr. Crouch too has disappeared … within these very grounds. And there was a third disappearance, one which the Ministry, I regret to say, do not consider of any importance, for it concerns a Muggle. His name was Frank Bryce, he lived in the village where Voldemort's father grew up, and he has not been seen since last August. You see, I read the Muggle newspapers, unlike most of my Ministry friends."**

Everyone thought of the first chapter where the old caretaker, Frank, had been killed. It was good, though a little shocking to know that Dumbledore had known about that incident too.

"I wonder if he keeps up with all muggle newspaper or if he just looked at the muggle newspaper in Little Hangleton," Tonks mused out loud.

**Dumbledore looked very seriously at Harry.**

"**These disappearances seem to me to be linked. The Ministry disagrees – as you may have heard, while waiting outside my office."**

**Harry nodded. Silence fell between them again, Dumbledore extracting thoughts every now and then. Harry felt as though he ought to go, but his curiosity held him in his chair.**

"**Professor?" he said again.**

"**Yes, Harry?" said Dumbledore.**

"**Er … could I ask you about … that court thing I was in … in the Pensieve?"**

"**You could," said Dumbledore heavily. "I attended it many times, but some trials come back to me more clearly than others … particularly now …"**

"Well I can see why those cases came up as they all deal with people that are living or at least coming to Hogwarts a lot now," Remus said.

"**You know – you know the trial you found me in? The one with Crouch's son? Well … were they talking about Neville's parents?"**

Harry cringed at his own question as it seemed to poke at the elephant in the room.

"I should have told you before now," Neville said gloomy, realized that they couldn't all just keep ignoring this issue.

"No, Neville, it's okay," Harry said before any of the other could say something, "I know why you didn't."

"We understand too," Ron added, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, "not like Harry does … but hell I wouldn't want to talk about that either …"

**Dumbledore gave Harry a very sharp look. "Has Neville never told you why he has been brought up by his grandmother?" he said.**

**Harry shook his head, wondering, as he did so, how he could have failed to ask Neville this, in almost four years of knowing him.**

It was Harry's turn to shift uncomfortably, that was something that he should have asked his friend. Of course it did seem like a very personal question when you think about it.

"**Yes, they were talking about Nevilles parents," said Dumbledore. "His father, Frank, was an Auror just like Professor Moody. He and his wife were tortured for information about Voldemort's whereabouts after he lost his powers, as you heard."**

"**So they're dead?" said Harry quietly.**

"**No," said Dumbledore, his voice full of a bitterness Harry had never heard there before. "They are insane. They are both in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I believe Neville visits them, with his grandmother, during the holidays. They do not recognize him."**

Neville bowed his head not wanting to see the looks on the other's faces.

**Harry sat there, horror-struck. He had never known … never, in four years, bothered to find out …**

"**The Longbottoms were very popular," said Dumbledore. "The attacks on them came after Voldemort's fall from power, just when everyone thought they were safe. Those attacks caused a wave of fury such as I have never known. The Ministry was under great pressure to catch those who had done it. Unfortunately, the Longbottoms' evidence was – given their condition – none too reliable."**

"**Then Mr. Crouch's son might not have been involved?" said Harry slowly. Dumbledore shook his head.**

"**As to that, I have no idea."**

"He always has an idea on things like this," Sirius frowned, he had been hoping more insight into this case but hadn't gotten anything that he hadn't already known. The way the boy had been acting during the trial was pitiful, but he could see the boy acting that way whether he was innocent or not. His only option was to beg his father to help him.

**Harry sat in silence once more, watching the contents of the Pensieve swirl. There were two more questions he was burning to ask … but they concerned the guilt of living people…**

"**Er," he said, "Mr. Bagman…"**

"… **has never been accused of any Dark activity since," said Dumbledore calmly.**

"**Right," said Harry hastily, staring at the contents of the Pensieve again, which were swirling more slowly now that Dumbledore had stopped adding thoughts.**

"**And … er …"**

**But the Pensieve seemed to be asking his question for him.**

**Snape's face was swimming on the surface again. Dumbledore glanced down into it, and then up at Harry.**

"**No more has Professor Snape," he said.**

"Why do I feel like I believe Dumbledore the first time and don't the second," Sirius mused out loud darkly.

"Because you hate Snape and will always think the worst of him," Bill answered him honestly. "I admit that it is harder for me to believe his innocent as well. Snape is not a very likeable person, but that doesn't mean he's guilty."

**Harry looked into Dumbledore's light blue eyes, and the thing he really wanted to know spilled out of his mouth before he could stop it.**

"**What made you think he'd really stopped supporting Voldemort, Professor?"**

**Dumbledore held Harrys gaze for a few seconds, and then said, "That, Harry, is a matter between Professor Snape and myself."**

**Harry knew that the interview was over; Dumbledore did not look angry, yet there was a finality in his tone that told Harry it was time to go. He stood up, and so did Dumbledore.**

"**Harry," he said as Harry reached the door. "Please do not speak about Neville's parents to anybody else. He has the right to let people know, when he is ready."**

Neville frowned, he realized that Dumbledore was right, he should have been the one to tell his friends, but he much rather just have time known the truth, then actually have to tell them. It just wasn't something that he ever really wanted to talk about.

"**Yes, Professor," said Harry, turning to go.**

"**And-"**

**Harry looked back. Dumbledore was standing over the Pensieve, his face lit from beneath by its silvery spots of light, looking older than ever. He stared at Harry for a moment, and then said, "Good luck with the third task."**

"That's the end of the chapter," Fred said. "It looks like the third task is going to be next."

"Maybe we should have dinner before we read more," Arthur suggested, thinking about what the next chapter might have in store for them. Not to mention there seemed to be a few people that could due with a few moments away from the book so that they could gather their thoughts.


	33. The Third Task

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty-Three

The Third Task

Dinner, and the time it took to prepare it, was a quite affair. Everyone was thinking about what they had read or about what was going to happen. There was a sort of anticipation that something was going to happen soon and it was going to happen soon.

"You should probably eat something," Teddy said as he placed a plate of food on the bed by Neville, who had gone into this room after hearing the last chapter.

"I'm not hungry," Neville said.

"I know," Teddy sighed.

"Am I right to hate him," Neville asked, though it didn't sound it Teddy could tell that he was begging from the answer to that question.

"Yes," Teddy said, after giving it a moment of thought, but he wasn't about to lie to Neville now.

"Okay … good," Neville said and looked away and Teddy was pretty sure that he wanted be alone again.

"We're probably going to start reading in a few minutes," Teddy sighed again. As he walked back to the kitchen he was stroke by how quite the house was. He had never thought a house full of Weasleys could be this quiet and it made him sad that he was the one that had brought this on.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked causing Teddy to jump, he hadn't realized Remus was there.

"Yeah …" Teddy started but Remus raised a spectacle eyebrow. "Okay no, I'm not okay. I didn't realize how hard it would be to read all of this … even with Harry warning me it would be."

"How much did you know about what we were reading?" Remus asked.

"Harry never talks about this, the other either," Teddy said, "Almost everything I know is from the history books. It's a lot different hearing it from Harry's point of view."

"Yes, it certainly is," Remus said in a grave tone and looking older than he actually was. "But you did the right thing coming back here and giving us the book."

"Yeah," Teddy replied, wondering how Remus seemed to know that he was thinking about this matter himself. "You didn't seem so happy about that in the beginning."

"I was worried that you wouldn't take this seriously," Remus said, "but I can see now that it's not a game … this means a whole lot more to you than that. You remind more a lot of Sirius …"

"Sirius?" Teddy said, surprised by Remus choice of people.

"I wish you could have known him before he went to Azkaban," Remus said. "He shows some signs of it now, his carefree nature, along with showing that he is very astute at the same time. But he's so angry and feels guilty about what happened to James and Lily … and simply haunted by the prison he was force to live in. It's good for him that we're reading the books … even though he hates everything Harry has to go through … this is better for him than being on the run on his own. He needs to be with people that care about him."

"Yes, that's true," Teddy said, "but that's part of the reason why I went through the Muggle channels to get this house and then put up several enchantments to make sure that it was undetectable by wizards. Well, I wouldn't say undetectable because anything that has magic can be undone by magic at some point, but it would be difficult to do and people would have to know where and what they are looking for before they could find the house."

"You want Sirius to stay here?" Remus said raising his eyebrows.

"Er … if he wants to," Teddy said, "I'm obviously not going to force him … but I was just thinking that this house was close enough to the action, but in middle of the muggle community so no one would really be looking for him here. I was also sort of thinking that you could stay her too …" Teddy tacked, not looking at Remus as he didn't want to look too hopeful.

"Hm," Remus said looking at him thoughtfully, "well this place is nicer than where I'm staying now. I supposed you would be staying here as well."

"Yep," Teddy agreed cheerfully, though still not looking Remus in the eyes.

"Thank you," Remus said placing a hand on Teddy's shoulder, "for making a place that would be safe for Sirius. You're very thoughtful, I'm sure your parents would be proud."

Teddy couldn't help but look at Remus then, his heart harming at the words from his dad, not that Remus knew that, and he smiled. Just then the rest of the group start coming into the room, and Remus turned to look at them, but Teddy kept his eyes on his dad, warmth filling him.

"I guess it's my turn to read," George said, picking up the book just as Neville walked into the room and wordlessly sat next to Ginny. Teddy shook his head, realizing that he was still standing where he had been since everyone entered the room, a smile still plastered on this face. **"The Third Task," **George read and whatever cheerfulness that had been gain during the meal had been sucked out by the title of the chapter.

"**Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger again as well?" Ron whispered.**

**Everything Harry had seen in the Pensieve, nearly everything Dumbledore had told and shown him afterward, he had now shared with Ron and Hermione – and, of course, with Sirius, to whom Harry had sent an owl the moment he had left Dumbledore's office. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat up late in the common room once again that night, talking it all over until Harry's mind was reeling, until he understood what Dumbledore had meant about a head becoming so full of thoughts that it would have been a relief to siphon them off.**

"Maybe you have needed a Pensieve in the past Harry, but you just never realized it until you know what a Pensieve was," Hermione said to him.

"Sure," Harry said, not bothering to argue with that.

"It probably would have been good to look over your memories to see if we were really drawing the right conclusions," Hermione went on, though she was talking to herself more than anything.

**Ron stared into the common room fire. Harry thought he saw Ron shiver slightly, even though the evening was warm.**

"**And he trusts Snape?" Ron said. "He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"**

"**Yes," said Harry.**

"That's because Dumbledore is a fool when it comes to trusting people," Sirius grumbled.

"Is he?" Remus asked looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't talking about you …" Sirius started.

"Or yourself now," Remus pointed out.

"Or myself," Sirius repeated. "But Remus you know no one ever stops being a Death Eater … not without dying that is …"

"You can't have it both ways Sirius," Remus said. "Dumbledore can't be showing good judgment in trusting us and bad in trusting Snape …"

"I think he can," Sirius grumbled making a face at his friend and Remus shook his head. Sirius was too stubborn for his own good sometimes.

**Hermione had not spoken for ten minutes. She was sitting with her forehead in her hands, staring at her knees. Harry thought she too looked as though she could have done with a Pensieve.**

"**Rita Skeeter," she muttered finally.**

"**How can you be worrying about her now?" said Ron, in utter disbelief.**

"Because obviously the girl has a one track mind," Fred teased and Hermione glared at him.

"**I'm not worrying about her," Hermione said to her knees. "I'm just thinking … remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.' This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember … 'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard.' Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."**

"That doesn't make the guy guilty," Ron said.

"I didn't say it did," Hermione pointed out.

"**Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" Hermione shrugged.**

"**And Fudge reckons Madame Maxime attacked Crouch?" Ron said, turning back to Harry.**

"**Yeah," said Harry, "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage."**

"And because he's a prejudice git," Sirius added.

Arthur sighed as he agreed with what Sirius was saying.

"**We never thought of her, did we?" said Ron slowly. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it-"**

"Ron don't go t to the dark side," George gasped.

"Er … what?" Ron said looking confused.

"Don't going hating people just because they're not fully people." George explained.

"Oh …" Ron said.

"**Of course she doesn't," said Hermione sharply, looking up. "Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth."**

**Hermione looked at her watch. "We haven't done any practicing!" she said, looking shocked. "We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We'll have to really get down to it tomorrow! Come on. Harry, you need to get some sleep."**

Harry sighed, "you know you don't have to tell me things like that."

"I don't know Harry, you seem like you could do with a nap time right now," George said after looking Harry over.

"Shut up!"

**Harry and Ron went slowly upstairs to their dormitory. As Harry pulled on his pajamas, he looked over at Nevilles bed. True to his word to Dumbledore, he had not told Ron and Hermione about Neville s parents. As Harry took off his glasses and climbed into his four-poster, he imagined how it must feel to have parents still living but unable to recognize you. He often got sympathy from strangers for being an orphan, but as he listened to Nevilles snores, he thought that Neville deserved it more than he did. **

"I don't really want it," Neville said, that was part of the reason why he didn't want his friends to know, he didn't want them to feel sorry for him.

**Lying in the darkness, Harry felt a rush of anger and hate toward the people who had tortured Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom … He remembered the jeers of the crowd as Crouch's son and his companions had been dragged from the court by the dementors … He understood how they had felt … Then he remembered the milk-white face of the screaming boy and realized with a jolt that he had died a year later …**

**It was Voldemort, Harry thought, staring up at the canopy of his bed in the darkness, it all came back to Voldemort … He was the one who had torn these families apart, who had ruined all these lives …**

"He's not the only one to blame," Neville said in an emotionless voice, "there were plenty of Death Eaters that have caused damage on their own."

Harry nodded his head, though he was thinking that Voldemort was the one that was giving them order and organizing them.

"I believe that Neville is trying to say is that some of the Death Eaters would likely have caused their own trouble even if Voldemort wasn't there," Remus said. "Voldemort was able to organize them, and cause them to band together with his hideous ideology, but that's not saying there wouldn't have been horrible people and lives ruined … just in a different way."

Teddy listened to this with a frown. It was one of his fears of completing his mission. If they defeat Voldemort as he (and his family in the future) had plan (and hoped) their might be an unforeseeable consequence that he couldn't prepare for.

**Ron and Hermione were supposed to be studying for their exams, which would finish on the day of the third task, but they were putting most of their efforts into helping Harry prepare.**

"Sorry," Harry said.

"Obviously it's my choice to help you, so you don't have to apologize," Hermione said, "There are more important things studying after all."

Harry turned to look at Ron, who raised an eyebrow at him, "what are you looking at me for … you know I don't study anyways."

"Ron!" Molly and Hermione both said, glaring at him.

Duncan looked at his daughter, there was a time not so long ago that he would have been sure that Hermione wouldn't have thought there was anything more important than her studies. Reading this book and seeing how dangerous it was in Hogwarts made him very uncomfortable, but he was glad that she had found something (people) more important to her.

"**Don't worry about it," Hermione said shortly when Harry pointed this out to them and said he didn't mind practicing on his own for a while, "at least we'll get top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts. We'd never have found out about all these hexes in class."**

"**Good training for when we're all Aurors," said Ron excitedly, attempting the Impediment Curse on a wasp that had buzzed into the room and making it stop dead in midair.**

"You do remember that you haven't got Moody's thumbs up for being an Auror yet, right?" Fred said.

"Yeah …" Ron said, his shoulders dropping a little.

"Ron that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to be an Auror if that's what you want," Tonks said. "You have some qualities that are essential to being an Auror."

Ron looked up, but his expression was skeptical, "yeah … like what?"

"How about the ability to look at a problem and plan for multiple threats and outcomes, and come up with a solution to solve them," Bill said.

"Huh?" Ron said confused.

"I believe he is talking about your chess skills," Percy said.

"Oh," Ron said and the twins sniggered at his response causing his to blush.

Bill glared at Fred and George, they really weren't helping, actually it was more like they were hindering his plan on making Ron feel more confident. They might think this was funny but Ron really didn't need to be laughed at, especially since Bill had a feeling that Ron had put more thought into being an Auror than he was letting on.

**The mood in the castle as they entered June became excited and tense again. Everyone was looking forward to the third task, which would take place a week before the end of term. Harry was practicing hexes at every available moment. He felt more confident about this task than either of the others. Difficult and dangerous though it would undoubtedly be, Moody was right: Harry had managed to find his way past monstrous creatures and enchanted barriers before now, and this time he had some notice, some chance to prepare himself for what lay ahead.**

**Tired of walking in on Harry, Hermione, and Ron all over the school, Professor McGonagall had given them permission to use the empty Transfiguration classroom at lunchtimes. **

"And just what was she walking in on," George asked wiggling his eyebrow.

"Practicing spells!" Hermione answered with a hissed, "what else would she be walking in on."

"Oh, nothing," George said still grinning at her.

**Harry had soon mastered the Impediment Curse, a spell to slow down and obstruct attackers; the Reductor Curse, which would enable him to blast solid objects out of his way; and the Four-Point Spell, a useful discovery of Hermiones that would make his wand point due north, therefore enabling him to check whether he was going in the right direction within the maze. **

"That seems like a helpful spell," Remus agreed.

"Why don't you make a map of the maze," Sirius said with a grin, "you could ask me about it, I'm good at creating maps."

"Isn't using a map in a maze sort of cheating?" Harry asked.

"Not to mention I'm not sure it would actually work," Arthur said, "I would bet that there's an Unplottable Charm on the maze to prevent that from happening."

"Hm … you might be right," Sirius sighed.

**He was still having trouble with the Shield Charm, though. This was supposed to cast a temporary, invisible wall around himself that deflected minor curses; Hermione managed to shatter it with a well-placed Jelly-Legs Jinx, and Harry wobbled around the room for ten minutes afterward before she had looked up the counterjinx.**

"Brilliant," the twins said and several people laughed as Harry pouted.

"No, what would be brilliant if Hermione actually knew the couterjinx and just let him wobble around the room for the fun of it," Ron said laughing and looking at Hermione as if asking if that's what she did. She shrugged, not knowing the answer, though it was possible seeing as she usually is prepared enough to know the counterjinx to a jinx she is using.

"Nice, and these are my best friends," Harry grumbled as they laughed.

"**You're still doing really well, though," Hermione said encouragingly, looking down her list and crossing off those spells they had already learned. "Some of these are bound to come in handy."**

"**Come and look at this," said Ron, who was standing by the window. He was staring down onto the grounds. "What's Malfoy doing?"**

**Harry and Hermione went to see. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in the shadow of a tree below. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be keeping a lookout; both were smirking. Malfoy was holding his hand up to his mouth and speaking into it.**

"What are you doing?" Ron asked the Malfoy in the room.

"How should I know that," Draco said haughtily, mostly because he would like to know the answer to the question himself.

"**He looks like he's using a walkie-talkie," said Harry curiously.**

"**He can't be," said Hermione, "I've told you, those sorts of things don't work around Hogwarts. Come on, Harry," she added briskly, turning away from the window and moving back into the middle of the room, "let's try that Shield Charm again."**

**Sirius was sending daily owls now. Like Hermione, he seemed to want to concentrate on getting Harry through the last task before they concerned themselves with anything else. He reminded Harry in every letter that whatever might be going on outside the walls of Hogwarts was not Harry's responsibility, nor was it within his power to influence it.**

_**If Voldemort is really getting stronger again**_**, he wrote, **_**my priority is to ensure your safety. He cannot hope to lay hands on you while you are under Dumbledore's protection, but all the same, take no risks: Concentrate on getting through that maze safely, and then we can turn our attention to other matters.**_

"You know the more you say things like that the more nervous I get."

"Sirius, you're the one that saying it," Tonks said to him slowly.

"I know, I'm talking to myself," Sirius stated proudly.

"You really have gone mad, haven't you?" Tonks said.

"Yeah a bit," Sirius admitted.

**Harry's nerves mounted as June the twenty-fourth drew closer, but they were not as bad as those he had felt before the first and second tasks. For one thing, he was confident that, this time, he ****had done everything in his power to prepare for the task. For another, this was the final hurdle, and however well or badly he did, the tournament would at last be over, which would be an enormous relief.**

**Breakfast was a very noisy affair at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the third task. The post owls appeared, bringing Harry a good-luck card from Sirius. It was only a piece of parchment, folded over and bearing a muddy paw print on its front, but Harry appreciated it all the same. **

"So starved for letters that even that makes you happy," Draco said.

Ron and Sirius growled at him but Harry didn't really care. At least now he actually had someone that sent him letters.

**A screech owl arrived for Hermione, carrying her morning copy of the Daily Prophet as usual. She unfolded the paper, glanced at the front page, and spat out a mouthful of pumpkin juice all over it.**

"So no shocking news in that edition, ah," George said.

"I wonder what it said," Hermione said, ignoring George.

"**What?" said Harry and Ron together, staring at her. "Nothing," said Hermione quickly, trying to shove the paper out of sight, but Ron grabbed it. He stared at the headline and said, "No way. Not today. That old cow."**

"**What?" said Harry. "Rita Skeeter again?"**

"**No," said Ron, and just like Hermione, he attempted to push the paper out of sight.**

"Merlin you guys are horrible liars," Fred shook his head.

"**It's about me, isn't it?" said Harry.**

"**No," said Ron, in an entirely unconvincing tone. But before Harry could demand to see the paper Draco Malfoy shouted across the Great Hall from the Slytherin table.**

"**Hey, Potter! Potter! How's your head? You feeling all right? Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?"**

"Why would I go berserk?" Harry asked, though he was thinking more about what was in the article that would lead to Malfoy's taunt.

**Malfoy was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet too. Slytherins up and down the table were sniggering, twisting in their seats to see Harry's reaction.**

"**Let me see it," Harry said to Ron. "Give it here."**

**Very reluctantly, Ron handed over the newspaper. Harry turned it over and found himself staring at his own picture, beneath the banner headline:**

"I don't get why you didn't just give me the article to begin with," Harry said annoyed, "wasn't that why you got the Prophet in the first place."

"Yes," Hermione answered, "I wonder how bad the article is …"

"Argh," Harry groaned, getting what she meant.

'_**HARRY POTTER DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS**_**'**

"I get the disturbed part, but I wouldn't call you dangerous," Draco said, everyone ignored him.

_**The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter**_**'**_**s strange behavior, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, **_

"As if I wanted to compete in the tournament … or had a choice in the matter," Harry grumbled.

_**or even to attend Hogwarts School.**_

_**Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying.**_

"How did she see that?!" Harry demanded in alarm.

"I don't understand … she couldn't have been there," Hermione said.

"Well unless she has taken to follow Harry around the castle," Ron said, "and I wouldn't put that pass her …"

"But how could she have been in the classroom … no one saw her there?" Hermione asked him.

"No idea, however she was able to overhear Hagrid and you without being noticed," Ron shrugged. "Maybe she was following Harry around then too and was just glad to be near enough to hear other juicy gossip."

_**It is possible, say top experts at St. Mungo**_**'**_**s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potters brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You- Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion.**_

"_**He might even be pretending,**_**" **_**said one specialist. **_**"**_**This could be a plea for attention.**_**"**

"As if I need any more attention," Harry gritted his teeth.

_**The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public.**_

"_**Potter can speak Parseltongue,**_**" **_**reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year. **_**"**_**There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a dueling club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. **_

"Well you were perfectly capable of saying something at the time … though of course the fact that your dad was the one that really was organizing the attack on students, it's no wonder that you haven't," Harry hissed at him.

"As if that matters," Draco shrugged.

_**But he**_**'**_**s made friends with werewolves and giants too. We think he**_**'**_**d do anything for a bit of power.**_**"**

_**Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art. **_

"It has not," Percy said, "it's merely associated with dark wizards."

"Thanks for the clarification," Harry grumbled.

_**Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defense League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would **__**regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue **_**"**_**as worthy of investigation. Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark Magic, and are historically associated with evildoers.**_**" **_**Similarly, **_**"**_**anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence.**_**"**

"Thanks anonymous source that's probably just Skeeter making this up to sound better," George said.

"I don't care who the bloody hell actually said that, they're an idiot!" Sirius growled.

"Well I guess everyone at Hogwarts has a fondness for violence," Fred said with a sigh.

_**Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening.**_

"**Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" said Harry lightly, folding up the paper.**

"That's all you've got to say after all that?" Ron looked at his friend incredulously.

"I don't know, what am I supposed to say," Harry shrugged.

**Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were laughing at him, tapping their heads with their fingers, pulling grotesquely mad faces, and waggling their tongues like snakes.**

"Once again, you show how clever you are," Fred said to Draco.

"Hey, it's not my fault it doesn't take much to get Potter all worked up," Draco shrugged.

"**How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?" Ron said. "There's no way she was there, there's no way she could've heard –" **

"Maybe she got her information from someone that's in the class," Bill said.

"That doesn't make sense with everything else she has written about," Tonks said.

"I know that, just trying to keep things interesting," Bill smiled.

"**The window was open," said Harry. "I opened it to breathe."**

"**You were at the top of North Tower!" Hermione said. "Your voice couldn't have carried all the way down to the grounds!"**

"Maybe she was flying around outside the window," George suggested.

"**Well, you're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!" said Harry. "You tell me how she did it!"**

"**I've been trying!" said Hermione. "But I … but …"**

**An odd, dreamy expression suddenly came over Hermione's face. She slowly raised a hand and ran her fingers through her hair.**

"Er … are you all right?" Ron asked looking at Hermione as if she was going mad.

Hermione on the other hand was frowning at the book, not really sure what she was going.

"It seems to me that she's figured something out," Duncan said.

"Or at least working something out," Juliet said.

"Is that really how I act while I think," Hermione asked making a face.

"**Are you all right?" said Ron, frowning at her.**

"We've already been over this Ron, you don't have to keep asking her about this," Fred said.

"Someone might think you care about her or something," George added, causing Ron's ears to turn red.

"**Yes," said Hermione breathlessly. She ran her fingers through her hair again, and then held her hand up to her mouth, as though speaking into an invisible walkietalkie. Harry and Ron stared at each other.**

"**I've had an idea," Hermione said, gazing into space. "I think I know … because then no one would be able to see … even Moody … and she'd have been able to get onto the window ledge … but she's not allowed … she's definitely not allowed … I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library – just to make sure!"**

"**Of course you have to go to the library … you can't do anything without going to the library," Ron shook his head causing Hermione to glare at him.**

"I wonder what it is you figured out," Tonks said.

"Well if you think about she started acting this way after Harry said she was researching magical methods of bugging, so I imagine it had something to do with that," Percy said.

"Thanks Perce, I figured that part out myself," Tonks said, "but they're are more than one way to eavesdrop on people, several of which are not legal for most people to use."

**With that, Hermione seized her school bag and dashed out of the Great Hall.**

"**Oy!" Ron called after her. "We've got our History of Magic exam in ten minutes! Blimey," he said, turning back to Harry, "she must really hate that Skeeter woman to risk missing the start of an exam. **

Ron nodded in agreement with what he said as Hermione rolled her eyes at him (though she was a little surprised that she was risking that herself).

**What're you going to do in Binns's class – read again?"**

**Exempt from the end-of-term tests as a Triwizard champion, Harry had been sitting in the back of every exam class so far, looking up fresh hexes for the third task.**

"I don't understand how Krum and Fleur could skip their end-of-term exams … they're talking their N.E.W.T.'s," Hermione frowned.

"I'm sure they'll be given make up exam," Remus said.

"Or maybe they get perfect scores on their N.E.W.T.'s just because they're champions," George said.

"I doubt it works that way," Remus said.

"**S'pose so," Harry said to Ron; but just then. Professor McGonagall came walking alongside the Gryffindor table toward him.**

"**Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast," she said.**

"**But the task's not till tonight!" said Harry, accidentally spilling scrambled eggs down his front, afraid he had mistaken the time.**

Harry glared at everyone that was laughing, which took a while for him to manage since nearly everyone was laughing.

"**I'm aware of that, Potter," she said. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, ****you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them." She moved away. Harry gaped after her.**

Harry stop glaring and frowned, he didn't have a family … not a proper one at least.

"**She doesn't expect the Dursleys to turn up, does she?" he asked Ron blankly.**

"She said you're family, not those sorry excuse for relatives you have," Sirius growled, then he sighed. "I wish I could be there."

"Yeah, me too," Harry said, realizing that his earlier thought wasn't really right.

"**Dunno," said Ron. "Harry, I'd better hurry, I'm going to be late for Binns. See you later."**

**Harry finished his breakfast in the emptying Great Hall. He saw Fleur Delacour get up from the Ravenclaw table and join Cedric as he crossed to the side chamber and entered. **

"Does anyone else notice that Fleur is always mention along with Cedric?" Bill asked but no one commented at that.

**Krum slouched off to join them shortly afterward. Harry stayed where he was. He really didn't want to go into the chamber. He had no family – no family who would turn up to see him risk his life, anyway. **

"I don't know, maybe they'd enjoy the risk your life part," Fred said, his tone darker than usually because he wasn't really sure if that statement was wrong or not.

**But just as he was getting up, thinking that he might as well go up to the library and do a spot more hex research, the door of the side chamber opened, and Cedric stuck his head out.**

"**Harry, come on, they're waiting for you!"**

**Utterly perplexed Harry got up. The Dursleys couldn't possibly be here, could they? **

"No, they would not be able to see the castle," Duncan answered grimly, remembering being told that he couldn't see his daughter after she had been petrified.

**He walked across the Hall and opened the door into the chamber. Cedric and his parents were just inside the door. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his dark-haired mother and father in rapid Bulgarian. He had inherited his fathers hooked nose. On the other side of the room, Fleur was jabbering away in French to her mother. Fleur's little sister, Gabrielle, was holding her mother's hand. She waved at Harry, who waved back, grinning. Then he saw Mrs. Weasley and Bill standing in front of the fireplace, beaming at him.**

Harry smiled at the two mentioned people, "Thanks."

"It's our pleasure, Harry," Molly said smiling, she was glad that she was able to be there for him.

"**Surprise!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly as he smiled broadly and walked over to them. "Thought we'd come and watch you. Harry!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek.**

"**You all right?" said Bill, grinning at Harry and shaking his hand. "Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn't get time off. He said you were incredible against the Horntail."**

**Fleur Delacour, Harry noticed, was eyeing Bill with great interest over her mother's shoulder. Harry could tell she had no objection whatsoever to long hair or earrings with fangs on them.**

All of Bill's sibling sniggered at that as Bill said, "all the girls love long hair and fang earrings."

"Hmm," Molly huffed as everyone now laughed.

Tonks watched Teddy as they boys eyes seem to dance with amusement and wondered if this had anything to do with the fact that Teddy seems to know so much about Fleur.

"**This is really nice of you," Harry muttered to Mrs. Weasley. "I thought for a moment – the Dursleys –"**

"**Hmm," said Mrs. Weasley, pursing her lips. She had always refrained from criticizing the Dursleys in front of Harry, but her eyes flashed every time they were mentioned.**

"You know you really don't have to hold back, I don't mind," Harry said.

Molly pressed her lips together as she thought about what might be going on when Harry was at the Dursley to make Harry say that. How long had things been so bad that he tried show he didn't care about how poorly he had been treated at home.

"**It's great being back here," said Bill, looking around the chamber (Violet, the Fat Lady's friend, winked at him from her frame). **

"Told you … all the girls love …"

"We get it, William, we just not as cool as you," George sighed.

"Do you really have to rub it in," Fred added.

"I guess so," Bill laughed.

**"Haven't seen this place for five years. Is that picture of the mad knight still around? Sir Cadogan?"**

"**Oh yeah," said Harry, who had met Sir Cadogan the previous year.**

"**And the Fat Lady?" said Bill.**

"Seriously Bill, how old do you think you are?" Tonks asked.

"Ancient apparently," Bill said, still laughing.

"**She was here in my time," said Mrs. Weasley. "She gave me such a telling off one night when I got back to the dormitory at four in the morning -"**

"What were you doing out at four in the morning?!" all of Weasley children asked incredulously.

Molly blushed, though not nearly as much as Arthur was.

"Actually, forget we asked!" Ron said. "I don't think I want to hear this."

"Second," the twins said together.

"**What were you doing out of your dormitory at four in the morning?" said Bill, surveying his mother with amazement.**

**Mrs. Weasley grinned, her eyes twinkling.**

"**Your father and I had been for a nighttime stroll," she said. **

"Judging by Arthur's ear color it was probably more than just a stroll," Sirius said wiggling his eyebrow, causing the younger Weasleys to make a face as Arthur gave a sheepish grin.

**"He got caught by Apollyon Pringle – he was the caretaker in those days – your father's still got the marks."**

"**Fancy giving us a tour, Harry?" said Bill.**

"Someone is trying to change the subject," Sirius laughed.

"Obviously," Bill agreed.

"**Yeah, okay," said Harry, and they made their way back toward the door into the Great Hall. As they passed Amos Diggory, he looked around.**

"**There you are, are you?" he said, looking Harry up and down. **"**Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedrics caught you up on points, are you?"**

"Idiot," Sirius grumbled.

"**What?" said Harry.**

"**Ignore him," said Cedric in a low voice to Harry, frowning after his father. "He's been angry ever since Rita Skeeters article about the Triwizard Tournament – you know, when she made out you were the only Hogwarts champion."**

"**Didn't bother to correct her, though, did he?" said Amos Diggory, **

"Like that would do any bloody good," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**loudly enough for Harry to hear as he started to walk out of the door with Mrs. Weasley and Bill. "Still … you'll show him, Ced. Beaten him once before, haven't you?"**

"**Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos!" Mrs. Weasley said angrily. "I would have thought you'd know that, working at the Ministry!"**

"Good for you," Sirius smiled at Molly who looked pleased by her comment as well.

**Mr. Diggory looked as though he was going to say something angry, but his wife laid a hand on his arm, and he merely shrugged and turned away.**

**Harry had a very enjoyable morning walking over the sunny grounds with Bill and Mrs. Weasley, showing them the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang ship. Mrs. Weasley was intrigued by the Whomping Willow, which had been planted after she had left school, and reminisced at length about the gamekeeper before Hagrid, a man called Ogg.**

"**How's Percy?" Harry asked as they walked around the greenhouses.**

"Ow, look Perce, our little Harrykins cares about you," George said.

"Shut up," Percy said, though he would have to admit he was a little surprise that Harry had asked about him …

"**Not good," said Bill.**

"**He's very upset," said Mrs. Weasley, lowering her voice and glancing around. "The Ministry wants to keep Mr. Crouch's disappearance quiet, but Percy's been hauled in for questioning about the instructions Mr. Crouch has been sending in. They seem to think there's a chance they weren't genuinely written by him. Percy's been under a lot of strain. They're not letting him fill in for Mr. Crouch as the fifth judge tonight. Cornelius Fudge is going to be doing it."**

Percy mind was now occupied by what he was hearing, he was going to be questioned … my Ministry official …

**They returned to the castle for lunch.**

"**Mum – Bill!" said Ron, looking stunned, as he joined the Gryffindor table. "What're you doing here?"**

"They just fancied a nice visit … nothing special you know … just dropping by," Fred said.

"Shut it!" Ron hissed at him.

"**Come to watch Harry in the last task!" said Mrs. Weasley brightly. "I must say, it makes a lovely change, not having to cook. How was your exam?"**

"A lovely change … you're about to watch Harry risk his life …" Sirius complained.

"I'm probably trying not to think about that," Molly answered.

"And perhaps we're not sure how serious this task might turn out to be," Bill said, "not knowing anything that Harry had been going through this year."

"**Oh … okay," said Ron. "Couldn't remember all the goblin rebels' names, so I invented a few. It's all right," he said, helping himself to a Cornish pasty, while Mrs. Weasley looked stern, "they're all called stuff like Bodrod the Bearded and Urg the Unclean; it wasn't hard."**

Molly was glaring at Ron now too, as Ron siblings looked at him incredulously. That wasn't really something you should say to your mum … ever.

**Fred, George, and Ginny came to sit next to them too, and Harry was having such a good time he felt almost as though he were back at the Burrow; he had forgotten to worry about that evening's task, **

"Well dude Potter, that's the point of them coming and all," Draco rolled his eyes.

**and not until Hermione turned up, halfway through lunch, did he remember that she had had a brainwave about Rita Skeeter.**

"**Are you going to tell us -?"**

**Hermione shook her head warningly and glanced at Mrs. Weasley.**

"Well at least someone knows not to speak in front of parents," Fred said.

"Hmph," Molly huffed as Hermione shifted uncomfortable in her seat, mostly because she wanted to know what she figured out.

"**Hello, Hermione," said Mrs. Weasley, much more stiffly than usual.**

"**Hello," said Hermione, her smile faltering at the cold expression on Mrs. Weasley's face.**

Hermione frowned, she couldn't help but think of the small Easter egg she had gotten and it felt bad that Ron's mum was still upset about the article.

**Harry looked between them, then said, "Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in Witch Weekly, did you? Because Hermione's not my girlfriend."**

"**Oh!" said Mrs. Weasley "No - of course I didn't!"**

**But she became considerably warmer toward Hermione after that.**

"Oh sure … of course not!" Fred said shaking his head. "I'm very disappointed in you, Mum."

Molly blushed, more so than she already was doing, feeling bad about the reaction she had to the article. "I'm sorry …"

"It's okay," Hermione said, though there was still considerable tension in the room.

**Harry, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley whiled away the afternoon with a long walk around the castle, and then returned to the Great Hall for the evening feast. Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge had joined the staff table now. Bagman looked quite cheerful, but Cornelius Fudge, who was sitting next to Madame Maxime, looked stern and was not talking. **

"Do you think Dumbledore made him sit there after what he had said in the office?" Ginny asked, sort of curious about this but mostly trying to break the tension still in the room.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sirius said. "Dumbledore would have found that amusing."

**Madame Maxime was concentrating on her plate, and Harry thought her eyes looked red. Hagrid kept glancing along the table at her.**

"Do you think they talked?" Ginny asked, this time fulling interested in her conversation. "I hope they made up."

**There were more courses than usual, but Harry, who was starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much. As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.**

"**Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."**

**Harry got up. The Gryffindors all along the table were applauding him; the Weasleys and Hermione all wished him good luck, and he headed off out of the Great Hall with Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor.**

"**Feeling all right. Harry?" Bagman asked as they went down the stone steps onto the grounds. "Confident?"**

"**I'm okay," said Harry. It was sort of true; he was nervous, but he kept running over all the hexes and spells he had been practicing in his mind as they walked, and the knowledge that he could remember them all made him feel better.**

"That makes me feel better too," Sirius said.

"Obviously not too much better, seeing as you look like a nervous wreak," Tonks commented but Sirius ignored her.

**They walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.**

**Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.**

"**We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to the champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"**

**The champions nodded.**

"Sure, but what happens when they don't have time to call for help?" George questioned, and then winched a little as everyone looked horrified by the thought of the champions (Harry) being in danger without being able to ask for help.

"**Off you go, then!" said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers.**

"**Good luck. Harry," Hagrid whispered, and the four of them walked away in different directions, to station themselves around the maze. Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus," and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.**

"**Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each – Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. **

Fred and George started cheering at that.

"Well it looks like we're not sending the birds out of this room," George said looking disappointed before he started reading again.

**"In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"**

"Wait … how many points did she have?" Tonks asked.

"Considerable less then the boys, I'd say," Hermione said, "she only got twenty five in the last task … I'd imagine she had fairly similar score in the first task as the others … I'd guess around sixty points … maybe less depending on her score in the first task …"

"Okay we get it," Ron said, "we really don't need to know her score anyways."

**Harry could just make out Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione applauding Fleur politely, halfway up the stands. He waved up at them, and they waved back, beaming at him.**

"**So … on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three – two – one –"**

**He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.**

Without even realizing it, George's voice became more serious, and everyone seemed to be on the edge of their seats.

**The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and, whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment they entered the maze. Harry felt almost as though he were underwater again. He pulled out his wand, muttered, "Lumos," and heard Cedric do the same just behind him.**

**After about fifty yards, they reached a fork. They looked at each other.**

"**See you," Harry said, and he took the left one, while Cedric took the right.**

"How do you know right isn't the right way?" Fred said, even George ignored him as he continued to read.

**Harry heard Bagman's whistle for the second time. Krum had entered the maze. Harry sped up. His chosen path seemed completely deserted. He turned right, and hurried on, holding his wand high over his head, trying to see as far ahead as possible. Still, there was nothing in sight.**

Sirius shuddered, it should be a good thing that there was nothing stopping Harry, but Harry's worry in the book was making him more nervous … why wasn't there anything there?!

**Bagman's whistle blew in the distance for the third time. All of the champions were now inside.**

**Harry kept looking behind him. The old feeling that he was being watched was upon him. **

"Do you feel that way a lot?" Sirius asked.

"Sort of, I guess," Harry said, "it's not the first time that's for sure."

"And were you right the other times?" Sirius asked.

"Er … well one time was when you were watching me last year …" Harry said thoughtfully and Sirius groaned.

"I was afraid you'd say something like that," Sirius sighed, wondering who or what was watching Harry now.

**The maze was growing darker with every passing minute as the sky overhead deepened to navy. He reached a second fork.**

"**Point Me," he whispered to his wand, holding it flat in his palm.**

**The wand spun around once and pointed toward his right, into solid hedge. **

"I think it's time to blast your way through the hedge," Fred said.

"I think that would be cheating," Tonks pointed out and Fred just shrugged.

**That way was north, and he knew that he needed to go northwest for the center of the maze. The best he could do was to take the left fork and go right again as soon as possible.**

**The path ahead was empty too, and when Harry reached a right turn and took it, he again found his way unblocked. Harry didn't know why, but the lack of obstacles was unnerving him. Surely he should have met something by now? **

"Why can't you just be happy that you haven't met anything dangerous yet?!" Ron complained to his friend. "You consent worry is making me feel sick."

"Sorry," Harry said, "but you have to admit it's strange …"

**It felt as though the maze were luring him into a false sense of security. Then he heard movement right behind him. He held out his wand, ready to attack, but its beam fell only upon Cedric, who had just hurried out of a path on the right-hand side.**

**Cedric looked severely shaken. The sleeve of his robe was smoking.**

"See … Cedric is running into things in the maze," Harry said.

"Just take it as good luck mate, do you really want to face a whatever it is that attacked Cedric?" Ron answered.

"Well no," Harry said, "but why haven't I faced anything …"

"Please keep reading, I want to know what's going to happen next," Hermione said.

"**Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts!" he hissed. "They're enormous – I only just got away!"**

**He shook his head and dived out of sight, along another path. Keen to put plenty of distance between himself and the skrewts, Harry hurried off again. Then, as he turned a corner, he saw … a dementor gliding toward him. **

"WHAT?!" Sirius gasped, a sickening gloomy feeling coming over him. George keep reading before anyone could make a farther comment.

**Twelve feet tall, its face hidden by its hood, its rotting, scabbed hands outstretched, it advanced, sensing its way blindly toward him. Harry could hear its rattling breath; he felt clammy coldness stealing over him, but knew what he had to do …**

**He summoned the happiest thought he could, concentrated with all his might on the thought of getting out of the maze and celebrating with Ron and Hermione, raised his wand, and cried, "Expecto Patronum!"**

**A silver stag erupted from the end of Harry's wand and galloped toward the dementor, which fell back and tripped over the hem of its robes … Harry had never seen a dementor stumble.**

"They don't," Sirius said, the panic vanished as quickly as it had come, this couldn't be a real dementor. They didn't move that way.

"**Hang on!" he shouted, advancing in the wake of his silver Patronus, "You're a boggart! Riddikulus!"**

"Thanks Professor Moony," Harry said to Remus.

"I'm glad I could help," Remus said, proud at seeing how well Harry used both the spell that he had taught him.

**There was a loud crack, and the shape-shifter exploded in a wisp of smoke. The silver stag faded from sight. Harry wished it could have stayed, he could have used some company … **

"Then just cast another one, and keep up your happy thoughts," Fred suggested.

**but he moved on, quickly and quietly as possible, listening hard, his wand held high once more.**

**Left … right … left again … Twice he found himself facing dead ends. He did the Four-Point Spell again and found that he was going too far east. He turned back, took a right turn, and saw an odd golden mist floating ahead of him.**

**Harry approached it cautiously, pointing the wand's beam at it. This looked like some kind of enchantment. He wondered whether he might be able to blast it out of the way.**

"I'd doubt force would work on mist," Tonks said, "you should try finesse."

"And what would that mean?" Harry questioned.

"No idea," Tonks shrugged.

"**Reducio!" he said.**

**The spell shot straight through the mist, leaving it intact. He supposed he should have known better; the Reductor Curse was for solid objects. What would happen if he walked through the mist? Was it worth chancing it, or should he double back?**

"Double back … obviously the mist is going to do something," Sirius said.

"But coming across something like this should mean that Harry's getting closer to the middle," Bill reasoned.

"Maybe, but I'd rather him be safe," Sirius said.

"Unfortunately Harry's too much like you and James to go around the mist," Remus said.

**He was still hesitating when a scream shattered the silence.**

"**Fleur?" Harry yelled.**

Bill gasped and most people got tensed, worried about what might have happened.

**There was silence. He stared all around him. What had happened to her? Her scream seemed to have come from somewhere ahead. **

"Well obviously she's better at working through the maze than you are," Fred noted, but no one was listening to him.

**He took a deep breath and ran through the enchanted mist.**

**The world turned upside down. Harry was hanging from the ground, with his hair on end, his glasses dangling off his nose, threatening to fall into the bottomless sky. He clutched them to the end of his nose and hung there, terrified. It felt as though his feet were glued to the grass, which had now become the ceiling. Below him the dark, star-spangled heavens stretched endlessly. He felt as though if he tried to move one of his feet, he would fall away from the earth completely.**

"What the hell is going on?" Sirius asked. "I haven't of a mist doing this before!"

"I haven't either," Remus said. "I would guess that Dumbledore was the one to do this …"

"If your world is upside down, I wouldn't trust your thoughts Harry," Tonks said as she looked thoughtful. She hadn't heard of this enchantment either but part of her training was dealing with being introduced to new curses or enchantments and how to work around them.

**Think, he told himself, as all the blood rushed to his head, think …**

**But not one of the spells he had practiced had been designed to combat a sudden reversal of ground and sky. Did he dare move his foot? He could hear the blood pounding in his ears. He had two choices – try and move, or send up red sparks, and get rescued and disqualified from the task.**

"Move," Percy said, "no one could actually reversal the ground and sky. Tonks is probably right, the mist is probably effecting your thoughts."

**He shut his eyes, so he wouldn't be able to see the view of endless space below him, and pulled his right foot as hard as he could away from the grassy ceiling.**

"So you'd rather fall form the Earth than to get rescued," Fred said, "Harry … Harry … Harry."

**Immediately, the world righted itself. **

"It was the right move," Harry said to Fred.

"Obviously … because it was all in your head," Fred smirked.

**Harry fell forward onto his knees onto the wonderfully solid ground. He felt temporarily limp with shock. He took a deep, steadying breath, then got up again and hurried forward, looking back over his shoulder as he ran away from the golden mist, which twinkled innocently at him in the moonlight.**

**He paused at a junction of two paths and looked around for some sign of Fleur. He was sure it had been she who had screamed. What had she met? Was she all right? There was no sign of red sparks – did that mean she had got herself out of trouble, or was she in such trouble that she couldn't reach her wand? Harry took the right fork with a feeling of increasing unease … but at the same time, he couldn't help thinking. One champion down …**

"Always the gentlemen, Harry," George smiled.

**The cup was somewhere close by, and it sounded as though Fleur was no longer in the running. He'd got this far, hadn't he? What if he actually managed to win? Fleetingly, and for the first time since he'd found himself champion, he saw again that image of himself, raising the Triwizard Cup in front of the rest of the school …**

"Harry, I don't think now is the time to daydream," Sirius complained. "You don't know what in there trying to get you."

**He met nothing for ten minutes, but kept running into dead ends. Twice he took the same wrong turning. **

"Oh come on now, you have do better than that," Fred said in mock disappointed.

**Finally, he found a new route and started to jog along it, his wandlight waving, making his shadow flicker and distort on the hedge walls.**

**Then he rounded another corner and found himself facing a Blast-Ended Skrewt. **

"Are you happy now!" Ron hissed, though it was out of worry. "Now you get to face a monster."

"No, I'm not happy," Harry admitted.

**Cedric was right – it was enormous. Ten feet long, it looked more like a giant scorpion than anything. Its long sting was curled over its back. Its thick armor glinted in the light from Harry's wand, which he pointed at it.**

"**Stupefy!"**

**The spell hit the skrewt's armor and rebounded; Harry ducked just in time, **

There were several gasps at this as most couldn't help but think about how bad it would have been for Harry if he had been stunned then.

**but could smell burning hair; it had singed the top of his head. The skrewt issued a blast of fire from its end and flew forward toward him.**

"**Impedimenta!" Harry yelled. The spell hit the skrewt's armor again and ricocheted off; Harry staggered back a few paces and fell over.**

"Maybe you should just run," Ron suggested.

"It's probably faster than me," Harry pointed out.

"**IMPEDIMENTA!"**

**The skrewt was inches from him when it froze – he had managed to hit it on its fleshy, shell-less underside. Panting, Harry pushed himself away from it and ran, hard, in the opposite direction – the Impediment Curse was not permanent; the skrewt would be regaining the use of its legs at any moment. **

"You should curse it with something that will last longer while you had the opening," Percy said.

**He took a left path and hit a dead end, a right, and hit another; forcing himself to stop, heart hammering, he performed the Four-Point Spell again, backtracked, and chose a path that would take him northwest.**

**He had been hurrying along the new path for a few minutes, when he heard something in the path running parallel to his own that made him stop dead.**

"**What are you doing?" yelled Cedric's voice. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?"**

**And then Harry heard Krum's voice.**

"**Crucio!"**

"WHAT?!" everyone said at the same time and Neville looked pale.

"He wouldn't do that! Why would he use an Unforgivable Curse?!" Hermione asked.

"Because he wants to win," Percy said.

"But that would be stupid …. he'd go to Azkaban for using that curse," Ron said, he didn't really like Krum that much anymore, but even he wouldn't believe that he would use that spell.

"Maybe he thought that no one would know since they were in the maze," Draco said.

"That sounds like something you would try to do," Ron glared at him and he rolled his eyes.

"What about Cedric … is he okay?!" Molly asked in alarm so George started reading.

**The air was suddenly full of Cedric's yells. **

Everyone shuddered but George kept reading this time.

**Horrified, Harry began sprinting up his path, trying to find a way into Cedric's. When none appeared, he tried the Reductor Curse again. It wasn't very effective, but it burned a small hole in the hedge through which Harry forced his leg, kicking at the thick brambles and branches until they broke and made an opening; he struggled through it, tearing his robes, and looking to his right, saw Cedric jerking and twitching on the ground, Krum standing over him.**

Everyone shuddered again, though no so much as Neville as he listened to the effects of the Cruciatus Curse on a person.

**Harry pulled himself up and pointed his wand at Krum just as Krum looked up. Krum turned and began to run.**

"**Stupefy!" Harry yelled.**

"Good, don't like him get away," Tonks said, someone that used an Unforgivable Curse shouldn't get away, even though she agreed that it was extremely odd that Krum had used that curse now, having him in the maze and conscious was too dangerous.

**The spell hit Krum in the back; he stopped dead in his tracks, fell forward, and lay motionless, facedown in the grass. Harry dashed over to Cedric, who had stopped twitching and was lying there panting, his hands over his face.**

"**Are you all right?" Harry said roughly, grabbing Cedric's arm.**

"**Yeah," panted Cedric. "Yeah … I don't believe it … he crept up behind me … I heard him, I turned around, and he had his wand on me …"**

**Cedric got up. He was still shaking. He and Harry looked down at Krum.**

"**I can't believe this … I thought he was all right," Harry said, staring at Krum.**

"**So did I," said Cedric.**

"You know if Krum really did that he was probably the one that attack Crouch when they were left alone," Percy commented.

"That a fair point," Tonks said frowning, "but it's still hard to see Krum's motive for doing that."

"You saw that he was cursing Cedric," Percy pointed out.

Tonks thought that there were ways that Krum could have been either force into using that curse, or perhaps he wasn't the real Krum, but she didn't say that. She had a feeling pointing something like that out would only make the others in the room more tense, and they were already tense enough.

"**Did you hear Fleur scream earlier?" said Harry.**

"**Yeah," said Cedric. "You don't think Krum got her too?"**

"**I don't know," said Harry slowly.**

"**Should we leave him here?" Cedric muttered.**

"**No," said Harry. "I reckon we should send up red sparks. Someone'll come and collect him … otherwise he'll probably be eaten by a skrewt."**

"**He'd deserve it," Cedric muttered, **

"Well that's a bit harsh," Ginny said.

"Not really," Neville said as he thought of the curse that was used on Cedric.

**but all the same, he raised his wand and shot a shower of red sparks into the air, which hovered high above Krum, marking the spot where he lay.**

**Harry and Cedric stood there in the darkness for a moment, looking around them.**

**Then Cedric said, "Well … I s'pose we'd better go on …"**

"**What?" said Harry. "Oh … yeah … right …"**

"Why don't you just stun him too, Harry, and then you'll be the winner for sure," Fred suggested.

Harry rolled his eyes, as if he would do that.

Teddy on the other hand was thinking that it would have been a lot better if Harry had stunned Cedric.

**It was an odd moment. He and Cedric had been briefly united against Krum – now the fact that they were opponents came back to Harry. The two of them proceeded up the dark path without speaking, then Harry turned left, and Cedric right.**

**Cedric's footsteps soon died away.**

**Harry moved on, continuing to use the Four-Point Spell, making sure he was moving in the right direction. It was between him and Cedric now. His desire to reach the cup first was now burning ****stronger than ever, but he could hardly believe what he'd just seen Krum do. The use of an Unforgivable Curse on a fellow human being meant a life term in Azkaban, that was what Moody had told them. Krum surely couldn't have wanted the Triwizard Cup that badly … Harry sped up.**

**Every so often he hit more dead ends, but the increasing darkness made him feel sure he was getting near the heart of the maze. Then, as he strode down a long, straight path, he saw movement once again, and his beam of wandlight hit an extraordinary creature, one which he had only seen in picture form, in his Monster Book of Monsters.**

**It was a sphinx. **

"Wow … sphinx are real?" Duncan gasped before he blushed for his outburst.

"Yes, they are," Remus said. "They can be really dangerous … or very easy to get pass."

"Yeah, you just have to be smart enough to answer it's question," Sirius said.

**It had the body of an over-large lion: great clawed paws and a long yellowish tail ending in a brown tuft. Its head, however, was that of a woman. She turned her long, almond-shaped eyes upon Harry as he approached. He raised his wand, hesitating. She was not crouching as if to spring, but pacing from side to side of the path, blocking his progress. Then she spoke, in a deep, hoarse voice.**

"**You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me."**

"**So … so will you move, please?" said Harry, knowing what the answer was going to be.**

"So way ask?" Ron questioned.

"Wishful thinking I guess," Harry shrugged.

"**No," she said, continuing to pace. "Not unless you can answer my riddle. Answer on your first guess – I let you pass. Answer wrongly – I attack. Remain silent – I will let you walk away from me unscathed."**

"Well that's a new option that you don't normal get," Remus mumbled to himself.

**Harry's stomach slipped several notches. It was Hermione who was good at this sort of thing, not him. **

"You're not so bad Harry," Hermione said encouragingly. "At least you have some logic."

"Thanks," Harry said to her.

"What about me," Ron asked.

"You can be good at it too, as long as you don't get frustrated," Hermione answered.

**He weighed his chances. If the riddle was too hard, he could keep silent, get away from the sphinx unharmed, and try and find an alternative route to the center.**

"**Okay," he said. "Can I hear the riddle?"**

**The sphinx sat down upon her hind legs, in the very middle of the path, and recited:**

_"**First think of the person who lives in disguise,**_

_**Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.**_

"Snape!" Sirius answered.

"Yes, I'm sure the Spinx's talking about Snape," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Well he tells naught but lies," Sirius shrugged.

_**Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,**_

_**The middle of middle and end of the end?**_

_**And finally give me the sound often heard**_

_**During the search for a hard-to-find word.**_

_**Now string them together, and answer me this,**_

_**Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"**_

"Snape!" Sirius answered again causing a few people to laugh.

**Harry gaped at her.**

"**Could I have it again … more slowly?" he asked tentatively. She blinked at him, smiled, and repeated the poem. "All the clues add up to a creature I wouldn't want to kiss?" Harry asked.**

**She merely smiled her mysterious smile. Harry took that for a "yes." Harry cast his mind around. There were plenty of animals he wouldn't want to kiss; his immediate thought was a Blast-Ended Skrewt, but something told him that wasn't the answer. **

"Especially since I bet the Spinx doesn't even know it exist," Hermione said drily.

**He'd have to try and work out the clues …**

"**A person in disguise," Harry muttered, staring at her, "who lies … er … that'd be a – an impostor. No, that's not my guess! A – a spy? **

"See told you, Snape's a spy," Sirius said.

"Stop with the Snape already," Remus said impatiently and Sirius grinned at him.

**I'll come back to that … could you give me the next clue again, please?"**

**She repeated the next lines of the poem.**

"'**The last thing to mend,'" Harry repeated. "Er … no idea … 'middle of middle' … could I have the last bit again?"**

**She gave him the last four lines.**

"'**The sound often heard during the search for a hard-to-find word,'" said Harry. "Er … that'd be … er … hang on – 'er'! Er's a sound!"**

"Go Harry," the twins cheered.

**The sphinx smiled at him.**

"**Spy … er … spy … er …" said Harry, **

"Oh bloody hell, it's a spider!" Ron groaned, talk about not wanting to kiss it he didn't even want to see it.

**pacing up and down. "A creature I wouldn't want to kiss … a spider!"**

**The sphinx smiled more broadly. She got up, stretched her front legs, and then moved aside for him to pass.**

"**Thanks!" said Harry, and, amazed at his own brilliance, **

"Well don't get too carried away now Harry," Fred warned him.

**he dashed forward.**

**He had to be close now, he had to be … His wand was telling him he was bang on course; as long as he didn't meet anything too horrible, he might have a chance …**

**Harry broke into a run. He had a choice of paths up ahead. "Point Me!" he whispered again to his wand, and it spun around and pointed him to the right-hand one. He dashed up this one and saw light ahead.**

**The Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth a hundred yards away. Suddenly a dark figure hurtled out onto the path in front of him.**

**Cedric was going to get there first. **

"No!" a few people shouted, after all that and having the cup in sight it would suck to lose now.

**Cedric was sprinting as fast as he could toward the cup, and Harry knew he would never catch up, Cedric was much taller, had much longer legs -**

**Then Harry saw something immense over a hedge to his left, moving quickly along a path that intersected with his own; it was moving so fast Cedric was about to run into it, and Cedric, his eyes on the cup, had not seen it –**

"**Cedric!" Harry bellowed. "On your left!"**

**Cedric looked around just in time to hurl himself past the thing and avoid colliding with it, but in his haste, he tripped. Harry saw Cedric's wand fly out of his hand as a gigantic spider **

"SHI– "

"Ronald," Molly hissed.

Ron didn't listen to her, he was remembering the horrible spiders that had caught Harry and him two years ago … those bloody monsters still filled his nightmares.

**stepped into the path and began to bear down upon Cedric.**

"**Stupefy!" Harry yelled; the spell hit the spider's gigantic, hairy black body, but for all the good it did, he might as well have thrown a stone at it; the spider jerked, scuttled around, and ran at Harry instead.**

"**Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy!"**

**But it was no use – the spider was either so large, or so magical, that the spells were doing no more than aggravating it. **

"Anything that is a giant form of something else, whether it's human, creature or whatever, they are spell retardant," Percy said knowledgeably.

**Harry had one horrifying glimpse of eight shining black eyes and razor-sharp pincers before it was upon him.**

**He was lifted into the air in its front legs; **

"CRAP!" Sirius shouted as other gasped in alarm as well. George keep reading.

**struggling madly, he tried to kick it; his leg connected with the pincers and next moment he was in excruciating pain. He could hear Cedric yelling "Stupefy!" too, but his spell had no more effect than Harry's – Harry raised his wand as the spider opened its pincers once more and shouted "Expelliarmus!"**

"What are you disarming on the spider?" Bill asked but was ignored, he just thought it was an odd spell to use there.

**It worked - the Disarming Spell made the spider drop him, but that meant that Harry fell twelve feet onto his already injured leg, which crumpled beneath him. Without pausing to think, he aimed high at the spider's underbelly, as he had done with the skrewt, and shouted "Stupefy!'' just as Cedric yelled the same thing.**

**The two spells combined did what one alone had not: **

"Good," was the sigh of relief that came from most of the people in the room.

**The spider keeled over sideways, flattening a nearby hedge, and strewing the path with a tangle of hairy legs.**

"**Harry!" he heard Cedric shouting. "You all right? Did it fall on you?"**

"**No," Harry called back, panting. He looked down at his leg. It was bleeding freely. He could see some sort of thick, gluey secretion from the spider's pincers on his torn robes. **

"What is that … it's not poison is it?!" Hermione fretted.

"I would guess it's more likely webbing," Remus said calmly, causing Hermione to relax a little.

**He tried to get up, but his leg was shaking badly and did not want to support his weight. He leaned against the hedge, gasping for breath, and looked around.**

**Cedric was standing feet from the Triwizard Cup, which was gleaming behind him.**

"**Take it, then," Harry panted to Cedric. "Go on, take it. You're there."**

**But Cedric didn't move. He merely stood there, looking at Harry. Then he turned to stare at the cup. Harry saw the longing expression on his face in its golden light. Cedric looked around at Harry again, who was now holding onto the hedge to support himself. Cedric took a deep breath.**

"**You take it. You should win. That's twice you've saved my neck in here."**

"What is he doing?" Harry frowned, a little disappointed that he wasn't going to win but at least nothing too horrible had happened yet.

"Clearly he wants you to win," Fred said, "so take the cup already."

"I'm not even supposed to be in this Tournament …" Harry started.

"Sometimes you're too noble for your own good," Fred said shaking his head.

"**That's not how it's supposed to work," Harry said. He felt angry; his leg was very painful, he was aching all over from trying to throw off the spider, and after all his efforts, Cedric had beaten him to it, just as he'd beaten Harry to ask Cho to the ball. "The one who reaches the cup first gets the points. That's you. I'm telling you, I'm not going to win any races on this leg."**

**Cedric took a few paces nearer to the Stunned spider, away from the cup, shaking his head.**

"**No," he said.**

"**Stop being noble," said Harry irritably. **

"That's the kettle calling the pot black," Hermione said, and Harry rolled his eyes.

**"Just take it, then we can get out of here."**

**Cedric watched Harry steadying himself, holding tight to the hedge.**

"**You told me about the dragons," Cedric said. "I would've gone down in the first task if you hadn't told me what was coming."**

"**I had help on that too," Harry snapped, trying to mop up his bloody leg with his robes. "You helped me with the egg – we're square."**

"**I had help on the egg in the first place," said Cedric.**

"He had help?" Tonks said raising her eyebrow, that seemed to be sending up alarm bells in her head. Who would have helped Cedric out, and why?

"**We're still square," said Harry, testing his leg gingerly; it shook violently as he put weight on it; he had sprained his ankle when the spider had dropped him.**

"**You should've got more points on the second task," said Cedric mulishly. "You stayed behind to get all the hostages. I should've done that."**

"**I was the only one who was thick enough to take that song seriously!" said Harry bitterly. **

"No you weren't," Bill said, "Fleur had taken the song seriously too."

**"Just take the cup!"**

"**No," said Cedric.**

**He stepped over the spider's tangled legs to join Harry, who stared at him. Cedric was serious. He was walking away from the sort of glory Hufflepuff House hadn't had in centuries.**

"That might be so, Harry, but what Cedric is doing would make Helga Hufflepuff proud that he's in her house," Tonks said.

"**Go on," Cedric said. He looked as though this was costing him every ounce of resolution he had, ****but his face was set, his arms were folded, he seemed decided.**

**Harry looked from Cedric to the cup. For one shining moment, he saw himself emerging from the maze, holding it. He saw himself holding the Triwizard Cup aloft, heard the roar of the crowd, saw Cho's face shining with admiration, more clearly than he had ever seen it before … and then the picture faded, and he found himself staring at Cedric's shadowy, stubborn face.**

"**Both of us," Harry said.**

"I think you'd make a good Hufflepuff too," Tonks said to Harry.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for the fact that he's getting himself in danger every two minutes," Sirius said.

Teddy was frowning again, he wondered how much this decision weighed on his godfather conscious after what was about to happen.

"**What?"**

"**We'll take it at the same time. It's still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it."**

**Cedric stared at Harry. He unfolded his arms.**

"**You - you sure?"**

"**Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah … we've helped each other out, haven't we? We both got here. Let's just take it together."**

**For a moment, Cedric looked as though he couldn't believe his ears; then his face split in a grin.**

"**You're on," he said. "Come here."**

**He grabbed Harry's arm below the shoulder and helped Harry limp toward the plinth where the cup stood. When they had reached it, they both held a hand out over one of the cup's gleaming handles.**

"**On three, right?" said Harry. "One – two – three – "**

**He and Cedric both grasped a handle.**

**Instantly, Harry felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel. His feet had left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onward in a howl of wind and swirling color, Cedric at his side.**

"What the hell is going on?" Sirius asked. "Is that supposed to happen?"

"I don't know," George said, "but that was the end of the chapter."


	34. Flesh, Blood, and Bone

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty-Four

Flesh, Blood, and Bone

Tonks took the book from George, knowing that wherever Harry was being taken wasn't going to be good. It seemed that the reason why Harry was entered in the Tournament was to hurt him, but it was about getting him to the cup … to win. Which mean the line of suspects they should be thinking about were the people helping Harry, not trying to get in his way …

"Tonks!" Remus said after she held the book for several long seconds, at least for him when he really needed to know what was going to happen.

"Right … sorry," Tonks said and then read the chapter titled, **"Flesh, Blood and Bone."**

There were groans and gasped by most of the people in the room, the title seemed to suggest that the worst was coming.

**Harry felt his feet slam into the ground; his injured leg gave way, and he fell forward; his hand let go of the Triwizard Cup at last. He raised his head. **

"**Where are we?" he said. **

**Cedric shook his head. He got up, pulled Harry to his feet, and they looked around. They had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; they had obviously traveled miles – perhaps hundreds of miles – for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. They were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; **

"Graveyard … could it get any more cliché?" Fred said trying to tease but his voice was filled with his own fear.

**the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Harry could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside. **

**Cedric looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then up at Harry. **

"**Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?" he asked. **

"**Nope," said Harry. **

"It shouldn't have been a Portkey … you need to get out of there!" Sirius said breathlessly.

**He was looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. "Is this supposed to be part of the task?" **

"**I dunno," said Cedric. He sounded slightly nervous. "Wands out, d'you reckon?" **

"**Yeah," said Harry, glad that Cedric had made the suggestion rather than him. **

**They pulled out their wands. Harry kept looking around him. He had, yet again, the strange feeling that they were being watched. **

"Crap," Sirius hissed, thinking that Harry was probably right and didn't like that one bit.

"**Someone's coming," he said suddenly. **

**Squinting tensely through the darkness, they watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves. Harry couldn't make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, he could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever it was, he was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And – several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time – Harry saw that the thing in the persons arms looked like a baby … or was it merely a bundle of robes? **

"**You don't think its …" Remus gasped. **

No one answered him, but they all knew who he was thinking it was because that was what they were thinking too.

**Harry lowered his wand slightly **

"Don't lower your wand now!" Sirius shouted. "Curse that hooded figured! This is no time to wait to see if the person is dangerous or not!"

**and glanced sideways at Cedric. Cedric shot him a quizzical look. They both turned back to watch the approaching figure. It stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second Harry and Cedric and the short figure simply looked at one another. **

Several people were now agreeing with Sirius, they wish Harry (or Cedric) would just curse this figure as he was likely posing a great danger to them.

**And then, without warning, Harry's scar exploded with pain. **

"NO!" several people gasped.

"Maybe he's just really angry right now …" Ron said hoping that Harry scar was hurting for that reason, but he didn't believe that any more than the others. This clearly was the plan that Voldemort had been trying to do since the beginning of the book.

**It was agony such as he had never felt in all his life; his wand slipped from his fingers as he put his hands over his face; his knees buckled; he was on the ground and he could see nothing at all; his head was about to split open. **

"Bloody effing hell!" Sirius said as Harry was now helpless to do anything.

**From far away, above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say, "Kill the spare." **

"NO!"

**A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night: **

"**Avada Kedavra!" **

"NO!" everyone gasped again.

**A blast of green light blazed through Harry's eyelids, and he heard something heavy fall to the ground beside him; the pain in his scar reached such a pitch that he retched, and then it diminished; terrified of what he was about to see, he opened his stinging eyes. **

**Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him. He was dead. **

"Oh no," Molly said and turned to cry into Arthur's shoulder. They were never too close to the Diggorys but she still remember seeing him as a little boy here and there and it was hard to think that he would be killed like this.

She wasn't the only one crying, several of the others had tears in their eyes as they thought about the boy they were reading about. Tonks was finding it hard to take, as she had really liked hearing about him as they read. Remus wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder for a few seconds controlling the emotions that were overwhelming him. Remus on the other hand was thinking about the boy he had taught the last year …

"We will make sure this doesn't happen," Teddy said, his voice sounding loud in the quiet (except for the sniffling). Everyone looked at him, they were still crying and upset, but what he said gave them hope. This hadn't happened yet, which means they could stop this pointless death from happening.

**For a second that contained an eternity, Harry stared into Cedric's face, at his open gray eyes, blank and expressionless as the windows of a deserted house, at his half-open mouth, which looked slightly surprised. And then, before Harry's mind had accepted what he was seeing, before he could feel anything but numb disbelief, he felt himself being pulled to his feet. **

**The short man in the cloak had put down his bundle, lit his wand, and was dragging Harry toward the marble headstone. Harry saw the name upon it flickering in the wandlight before he was forced around and slammed against it. **

**TOM RIDDLE **

**The cloaked man was now conjuring tight cords around Harry, tying him from neck to ankles to the headstone. Harry could hear shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood; he struggled, and the man hit him – hit him with a hand that had a finger missing. And Harry realized who was under the hood. It was Wormtail. **

Sirius growled, jumping out of his seat and stated pacing the room. He should have killed that bloody rat last year. But no, he didn't and now that traitor had killed a boy just because he was there.

Remus eyes widen looking, making him look quite mad as he felt like he was being stabbed once again by the man that was once his friend.

Harry clenched his fist into balls and shut his eyes … this was all his fault. He had told Sirius and Remus to let Wormtail go … he had made Cedric take the cup with him. And Cedric had died because of his choices …

"Harry," Hermione whispered grabbing his hand but he wouldn't look at her. "Remember what Teddy just said."

Harry looked at her then, grateful for her words. He might have screw up before, but he could change that now!

"**You!" he gasped. **

**But Wormtail, who had finished conjuring the ropes, did not reply; he was busy checking the tightness of the cords, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, rumbling over the knots. Once sure that Harry was bound so tightly to the headstone that he couldn't move an inch, Wormtail drew a length of some black material from the inside of his cloak and stuffed it roughly into Harry's mouth; then, without a word, he turned from Harry and hurried away. Harry couldn't make a sound, nor could he see where Wormtail had gone; he couldn't turn his head to see beyond the headstone; he could see only what was right in front of him. **

**Cedric's body was lying some twenty feet away. Some way beyond him, glinting in the starlight, lay the Triwizard Cup. Harry's wand was on the ground at Cedric's feet. The bundle of robes that Harry had thought was a baby was close by, at the foot of the grave. It seemed to be stirring fretfully. Harry watched it, and his scar seared with pain again … and he suddenly knew that he didn't want to see what was in those robes … he didn't want that bundle opened … **

"He wanted that bundle stumped on my several angry Hippogriffs," George commented.

**He could hear noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where he was tied. Wormtail's fast, wheezy breathing was growing louder again. It sounded as though he was forcing something heavy across the ground. Then he came back within Harry's range of vision, and Harry saw him pushing a stone cauldron to the foot of the grave. It was full of what seemed to be water - Harry could hear it slopping around – and it was larger than any cauldron Harry had ever used; a great stone belly large enough for a full-grown man to sit in. **

**The thing inside the bundle of robes on the ground was stirring more persistently, as though it was trying to free itself. Now Wormtail was busying himself at the bottom of the cauldron with a wand. Suddenly there were crackling names beneath it. The large snake slithered away into the darkness. The liquid in the cauldron seemed to heat very fast. The surface began not only to bubble, but to send out fiery sparks, as though it were on fire. Steam was thickening, blurring the outline of Wormtail tending the fire. The movements beneath the robes became more agitated. And Harry heard the high, cold voice again. **

"**Hurry!" **

The one word sent shivers down everyone's in the rooms spines, which was a hard thing to do at the moment given everything that was going on in this chapter.

**The whole surface of the water was alight with sparks now. It might have been encrusted with diamonds. **

"**It is ready Master." **

Sirius couldn't help but growl again, thinking how the rat had betrayed them just so he could be a bloody slave!

"**Now …" said the cold voice. **

**Wormtail pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them, and Harry let out a yell that was strangled in the wad of material blocking his mouth. **

**It was as though Wormtail had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind – but worse, a hundred times worse. The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face – no child alive ever had a face like that – flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.**

Everyone shrived at the description but couldn't say anything.

**The thing seemed almost helpless; it raised its thin arms, put them around Wormtail's neck, and Wormtail lifted it. As he did so, his hood fell back, and Harry saw the look of revulsion on Wormtail's weak, pale face in the firelight as he carried the creature to the rim of the cauldron. For one moment, Harry saw the evil, flat face illuminated in the sparks dancing on the surface of the potion. And then Wormtail lowered the creature into the cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface; Harry heard its frail body hit the bottom with a soft thud. **

**_Let it drown, _Harry thought, his scar burning almost past endurance, _please … let it drown … _**

Many of the others were echoing Harry's thoughts in their minds, but they didn't really think that would happen.

**Wormtail was speaking. His voice shook; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night. **

"**Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" **

**The surface of the grave at Harry's feet cracked. Horrified, Harry watched as a fine trickle of dust rose into the air at Wormtail's command and fell softly into the cauldron. The diamond surface of the water broke and hissed; it sent sparks in all directions and turned a vivid, poisonous-looking blue. **

**And now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs. **

"**Flesh – of the servant – w-willingly given – you will – revive – your master." **

**He stretched his right hand out in front of him – the hand with the missing finger. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his left hand and swung it upward. **

**Harry realized what Wormtail was about to do a second before it happened – **

"He cut off his arm!" Ginny gasped, looking pale at the gruesome image, but she was not surprised that Tom Riddle would have one of his servants do such a thing.

**he closed his eyes as tightly as he could, but he could not block the scream that pierced the night, that went through Harry as though he had been stabbed with the dagger too. He heard something fall to the ground, heard Wormtail's anguished panting, then a sickening splash, as something was dropped into the cauldron. **

**Harry couldn't stand to look … but the potion had turned a burning red; the light of it shone through Harry's closed eyelids … **

**Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony. Not until Harry felt Wormtail's anguished breath on his face did he realize that Wormtail was right in front of him. **

**"B-blood of the enemy … forcibly taken … you will … resurrect your foe." **

"You bloody will not touch him," Sirius growled, stopping in his pacing to glare at the book as if he would like to burn it. He knew though, that something had to happen to Harry because why else would have been taken to this place … and worse … there was no way that Harry would be allowed to get out of this graveyard.

"Sirius," Remus said, getting up as Sirius had fallen to his knees at his last thought. Neither of them said anymore as Remus helped Sirius back to the couch but he knew for Sirius expression what he was thinking … the thought was running through his own mind too.

**Harry could do nothing to prevent it, he was tied too tightly … Squinting down, struggling hopelessly at the ropes binding him, he saw the shining silver dagger shaking in Wormtails remaining hand. He felt its point penetrate the crook of his right arm and blood seeping down the sleeve of his torn robes. Wormtail, still panting with pain, rumbled in his pocket for a glass vial and held it to Harry's cut, so that a dribble of blood fell into it. **

**He staggered back to the cauldron with Harrys blood. He poured it inside. The liquid within turned, instantly, a blinding white. Wormtail, his job done, dropped to his knees beside the cauldron, then slumped sideways and lay on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping and sobbing. **

"Wish he would bloody bleed to death," Sirius hissed.

**The cauldron was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright that it turned all else to velvety blackness. Nothing happened … **

**_Let it have drowned. _Harry thought, _let it have gone wrong … _**

**And then, suddenly, the sparks emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry, so that he couldn't see Wormtail or Cedric or anything but vapor hanging in the air … _It's gone wrong, _he thought … _it's drowned … please … please let it be dead … _**

**But then, through the mist in front of him, he saw, with an icy surge of terror, the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron. **

Nearly everyone groaned and were terrified by the fact that his man had risen.

"**Robe me," said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Wormtail, sobbing and moaning, still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground, got to his feet, reached up, and pulled them onehanded over his master's head. **

**The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry … and Harry stared back into the face that had haunted his nightmares for three years. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snakes with slits for nostrils … **

**Lord Voldemort had risen again. **

Draco felt a mixture of feelings, he really wish he wasn't hearing this with these people who obviously were on the opposite side in all of this. Sure he had felt bad for Cedric as he was killed for no reason but the fact that he was there, but the Dark Lord's return could only be a good thing for his family. His dad was sure to gain favor again and they will become even more powerful than they are.

"That's it," Tonks said grimly to the horribly silent room.

"We can stop this from happening too, can't we?!" Ron said. "We could make sure that Harry doesn't go to the graveyard, right!"

Everyone was looking at Teddy, who shifted in his seat trying to think of how to answer that question.

"You don't want to prevent that, do you?" Tonks said.

"Seeing as we now know Voldemort's plan and where he's going to be, we might be able set a trap for him that he won't be able to see coming," Teddy said. "I think after we finish reading you'll agree …"

"We'll see," Tonks said, handing the book to Sirius, who shook his head.

"I can't read right now."

"I'll read," Duncan said grimly, he didn't really want to read either but he doubted there was anyone in the room that wanted to read.


	35. The Death Eaters

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty-Five

The Death Eaters

"**The Death Eaters," **Duncan read grimly.

**Voldemort looked away from Harry and began examining his own body. His hands were like large, pale spiders; **

Ron couldn't help but shudder at that image.

**his long white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, his face; the red eyes, whose pupils were slits, like a cats, gleamed still more brightly through the darkness. **

It was Duncan turn to shudder at this description thinking about a human with eyes like that really existing was terrifying.

**He held up his hands and flexed the fingers, his expression rapt and exultant. He took not the slightest notice of Wormtail, who lay twitching and bleeding on the ground, nor of the great snake, which had slithered back into sight and was circling Harry again, hissing. Voldemort slipped one of those unnaturally long-fingered hands into a deep pocket and drew out a wand. He caressed it gently too; and then he raised it, and pointed it at Wormtail, who was lifted off the ground and thrown against the headstone where Harry was tied; he fell to the foot of it and lay there, crumpled up and crying. Voldemort turned his scarlet eyes upon Harry, laughing a high, cold, mirthless laugh. **

Draco couldn't help but gulp at that, he didn't much like this Wormtail character, he seemed a bit dim but he had just helped the Dark Lord raise again, and now he was being cursed. This didn't seem like a good sign.

**Wormtail's robes were shining with blood now; he had wrapped the stump of his arm in them. **

"**My Lord …" he choked, "my Lord … you promised … you did promise …" **

"**Hold out your arm," said Voldemort lazily. **

"**Oh Master … thank you, Master …" **

**He extended the bleeding stump, but Voldemort laughed again. **

"**The other arm, Wormtail." **

"**Master, please … please …" **

**Voldemort bent down and pulled out Wormtail's left arm; he forced the sleeve of Wormtail's robes up past his elbow, and Harry saw something upon the skin there, something like a vivid red tattoo – a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth – the image that had appeared in the sky at the Quidditch World Cup: the Dark Mark. **

"That's on their skin … their arm?" Sirius said.

"I would imagine it's something that only shows up when Voldemort wants it to," Remus said, "It would be very foolish if they had that mark all the time."

"I've never heard of this, it would have been noted in my training if there was a mark that could identify Death Eaters," Tonks backed up.

"I wonder if there's another way to make it show up?" Sirius mumbled.

**Voldemort examined it carefully, ignoring Wormtail's uncontrollable weeping. **

"**It is back," he said softly, "they will all have noticed it … and now, we shall see … now we shall know …" **

Tonks narrowed her eyes, even more curious about how this mark thing worked.

**He pressed his long white forefinger to the brand on Wormtail's arm. **

**The scar on Harry's forehead seared with a sharp pain again, and Wormtail let out a fresh howl; Voldemort removed his fingers from Wormtail's mark, and Harry saw that it had turned jet black. **

**A look of cruel satisfaction on his face, Voldemort straightened up, threw back his head, and stared around at the dark graveyard. **

"**How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" he whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?" **

"No one runs away … not unless they will be killed if they return," Sirius said with a deaden expression. He was now trying not to think about the past as well as trying not to think about what was about to happen with Harry.

**He began to pace up and down before Harry and Wormtail, eyes sweeping the graveyard all the while. After a minute or so, he looked down at Harry again, a cruel smile twisting his snakelike face. **

"**You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father," he hissed softly. "A Muggle and a fool … very like your dear mother. **

"My mum is a witch," Harry said angry though not loudly enough for most to hear. He seemed to be trying to sink back into the to couch as he listened to what was happening. Ron and Hermione did hear him and they sat back closer to him but weren't sure what else they could do to help him.

**But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child … and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death …" **

Harry paled further at this and he gritted his teeth.

"Bloody sick bastard!" Sirius shouted getting up and started pacing again. "To compare … to say … I'm going to kill him …"

"Sirius …" Remus said getting up to try to calm his friend down. But Sirius wasn't about to do that this time, he did however move so that he was pacing somewhere less noticeable.

**Voldemort laughed again. Up and down he paced, looking all around him as he walked, and the snake continued to circle in the grass. **

"**You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was … He didn't like magic, my father … **

"**He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage … but I vowed to find him … I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name … Tom Riddle …" **

**Still he paced, his red eyes darting from grave to grave. **

"**Listen to me, reliving family history …" he said quietly, "why, I am growing quite sentimental … But look, Harry! My true family returns …" **

"As if you bloody know what a family means, you sick psychotic bastard," Sirius ranted.

**The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. And one by one they moved forward … slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes Voldemort stood in silence, waiting for them. Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled toward Voldemort and kissed the hem of his black robes. **

"Bloody groveling fools," Sirius hissed. "That's right, kiss you masters feet."

"**Master … Master" he murmured. **

**The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, **

"Pathetic lot, aren't they?!"

"Shut up!" Draco shouted at Sirius.

"Ah are you afraid you daddy is a …" Sirius started.

"That's enough," Remus said getting up and placing his hands on Sirius shoulders stopping him from pacing. Remus gave him a look and Sirius closed his eyes, it would be so easy to shout at the stupid little kid … the stupid little kid that was so much like Regulus … but that wouldn't be helpful. It wouldn't help him feel better and it wouldn't change how the brat thought, he would wouldn't respond to anyone yelling at him.

**forming a silent circle, which enclosed Tom Riddle's grave, Harry, Voldemort, and the sobbing and twitching heap that was Wormtail. Yet they left gaps in the circle, as though waiting for more people. Voldemort, however, did not seem to expect more. He looked around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind rustling seemed to run around the circle, as though it had shivered. **

"**Welcome, Death Eaters," said Voldemort quietly. "Thirteen years … thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday, we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?" **

**He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening. **

"**I smell guilt," he said. "There is a stench or guilt upon the air." **

Ginny made a face, _he always liked the drama. _

**A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare to step back from him. **

"**I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact – such prompt appearances! And I ask myself … why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?" **

"Because they're not idiots," Tonks said.

"Or complete psychopaths," Neville added thinking of the people had tried to find Voldemort.

**No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm. **

"**And I answer myself," whispered Voldemort, "they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment … **

"**And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? **

"Steps," Tonks mumbled, this had to be the answer to how he survived, though that didn't example what happened, it does exam why he hadn't been killed the night long ago.

**They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living? **

Ginny was now gritting her teeth, she remembered hearing things like this two years ago, after Tom had stop just being charming and was using her …

"**And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort … perhaps they now pay allegiance to another … perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?" **

**At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads. Voldemort ignored them. **

"**It is a disappointment to me … I confess myself disappointed …" **

**One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort's feet. **

"Idiot," Ginny said, darkly and when she noticed that the others were looking at her,"Tom doesn't like seeing weakness."

"**Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!" **

**Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand. **

"**Crucio!" **

Neville flinched reflexively at the use of that curse.

**The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; Harry was sure the sound must carry to the houses around … Let the police come, he thought desperately … anyone … anything … **

"As much as I want you to be saved, they won't be able to help you," Remus said his face was gray.

**Voldemort raised his wand. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground, gasping. **

"**Get up, Avery," said Voldemort softly. "Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years … I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?" **

"Some …" Draco said, the idea that cutting you arm off was only some repayment was really disturbing.

**He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob. **

"**You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?" **

"**Yes, Master," moaned Wormtail, "please. Master … please …" **

"**Yet you helped return me to my body," said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ****ground. "Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me … and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers …" **

"Hmph," Arthur gritted his teeth, of course You-Know-Who reward his helpers, it's why they followed him … that and fear.

**Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtails bleeding wrist. **

**Wormtail's sobbing stopped abruptly. His breathing harsh and ragged, he raised his head and stared in disbelief at the silver hand, now attached seamlessly to his arm, as though he were wearing a dazzling glove. He flexed the shining fingers, then, trembling, picked up a small twig on the ground and crushed it into powder. **

Sirius's growl sounded closer to his dog growl than his normal one. The effing rat got a new hand … now he was going to think he was something … stupid Peter …

"**My Lord," he whispered. "Master … it is beautiful … thank you … thank you …" **

**He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. **

"**May your loyalty never waver again, Wormtail," said Voldemort. **

"**No, my Lord … never, my Lord …" **

"Huh!" Sirius snorted his disbelieve. Wormtail was only loyal to himself.

**Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his powerful new hand, his face still shining with tears. Voldemort now approached the man on Wormtail's right. **

"**Lucius, my slippery friend," he whispered, halting before him. **

Everyone looked at Draco who tried to look haughty. He was actually worried that he would have to listen to his dad getting hurt.

**"I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius … Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay … but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?" **

"**My Lord, I was constantly on the alert," came Lucius Malfoy's voice swiftly from beneath the hood. "Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me -" **

"**And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?" said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. "Yes, I know all about that, Lucius … You have disappointed me … I expect more faithful service in the future." **

"**Of course, my Lord, of course … You are merciful, thank you …" **

**Voldemort moved on, and stopped, staring at the space – large enough for two people – that separated Malfoy and the next man. **

"**The Lestranges should stand here," said Voldemort quietly. **

Neville balled his fist.

**"But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me … When Azkaban is broken open, **

"He's going to break them out of Azkaban!" Neville said between a snarl and a moan he looked at Teddy, who was looking down at his hands. Neville was pretty sure that meant yes.

**the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us … they are our natural allies … we will recall the banished giants … I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear …" **

**He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he paused before others and spoke to them. **

"**Macnair … destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now, Wormtail tells me? You shall have better victims than that soon, Macnair. Lord Voldemort will provide …" **

"**Thank you, Master … thank you," murmured Macnair. **

"**And here" – Voldemort moved on to the two largest hooded figures – "we have Crabbe … you will do better this time, will you not, Crabbe? And you, Goyle?" **

**They bowed clumsily, muttering dully. **

"**Yes, Master …" **

"**We will, Master …" **

"**The same goes for you, Nott," said Voldemort quietly as he walked past a stooped figure in Mr. Goyles shadow. **

"**My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful -" **

"Everyone one of his follower seem to say that," Neville gritted his teeth, remembering what he heard from the trails a few chapters back. He wonder how much You-Know-Who really cared about all that.

"**That will do," said Voldemort. **

**He had reached the largest gap of all, and he stood surveying it with his blank, red eyes, as though he could see people standing there. **

"**And here we have six missing Death Eaters … three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return … he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever … he will be killed, of course … and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service." **

"I wish I knew who he was talking about," Tonks muttered, though she was thinking of all the people that were mentioned as Death Eaters. None of them surprised her, they were all on the list of people who had been tried and found had been charmed into serving Voldemort.

**The Death Eaters stirred, and Harry saw their eyes dart sideways at one another through their masks. **

"**He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight … **

"**Yes," said Voldemort, a grin curling his lipless mouth as the eyes of the circle flashed in Harry's direction. "Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call him my guest of honor." **

Everyone tensed as Harry was brought to focus again, their fear for what was going to happened building. In some ways the wish that it would just happen already but they weren't sure they wanted to hear it at all.

**There was a silence. Then the Death Eater to the right of Wormtail stepped forward, and Lucius Malfoy's voice spoke from under the mask. **

"**Master, we crave to know … we beg you to tell us … how you have achieved this … this miracle … how you managed to return to us …" **

"**Ah, what a story it is, Lucius," said Voldemort. "And it begins – and ends – with my young friend here." **

**He walked lazily over to stand next to Harry, so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon the two of them. The snake continued to circle. **

"**You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?" Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. "You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him – and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen … I could not touch the boy." **

**Voldemort raised one of his long white fingers and put it very close to Harry's cheek. **

"**His mother left upon him the traces other sacrifice … This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it … **

"Old magic?" Harry questioned, he still didn't fully understand how the protection he got from his mother work.

"I don't know Harry," Remus said. "I would guess it was wandless and born on her urge to protect the thing that was most important to her. It's not really something that's written down."

**but no matter. I can touch him now." **

**Harry felt the cold tip of the long white finger touch him, and thought his head would burst with the pain. Voldemort laughed softly in his ear, then took the finger away and continued addressing the Death Eaters. **

"He can touch me now," Harry said, flashes of his first year where Voldemort was part of Quirrell.

"That's why he needed your blood," Teddy said, he could see the others had more questions for him about what he had said earlier, but no one wanted to talk about that now.

"**I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself. Aaah … pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost … but still, I was alive. What I was, even I do not know … I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal – to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked … for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself … for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand … **

"**I remember only forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second, to exist … I settled in a faraway place, in a forest, and I waited … Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me … one of them would come and perform the magic I could not, to restore me to a body … but I waited in vain …" **

**The shiver ran once more around the circle of listening Death Eaters. Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing. **

"I don't know why he's surprised, the fear of him was outweighed by their sense of self preservation when he was said to be dead," Sirius spat.

"**Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me. **

"Are they?" Harry asked Tonks.

"I wouldn't know that," Tonks said, "but we are still learning everything we can about Death Eaters so I would think someone would still be looking for him."

**I sometimes inhabited animals – snakes, of course, being my preference – but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic … and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of them lasted long … **

Again Harry couldn't help but think of Quirrell … he didn't last long either.

"**Then … four years ago … the means for my return seemed assured. A wizard – young, foolish, and gullible – wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of … for he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school … he was easy to bend to my will … he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my plan failed. I did not manage to steal the Philosopher's Stone. I was not to be assured immortal life. I was thwarted … thwarted, once again, by Harry Potter …" **

"Darn you Harry, how dare you thwart him!" Fred said shaking his figure at Harry, trying hard to smile but he wasn't pulling off his joke as he wanted to.

**Silence once more; nothing was stirring, not even the leaves on the yew tree. The Death Eaters were quite motionless, the glittering eyes in their masks fixed upon Voldemort, and upon Harry. **

"**The servant died when I left his body, and I was left as weak as ever I had been," Voldemort continued. "I returned to my hiding place far away, and I will not pretend to you that I didn't then fear that I might never regain my powers … Yes, that was perhaps my darkest hour … I ****could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess … and I had given up hope, now, that any of my Death Eaters cared what had become of me …" **

"Probably some of them wish he would just stay gone," Sirius grunted.

"Why would they wish that?" Draco asked.

"Because they made Voldemort angry with them," Sirius said coldly.

**One or two of the masked wizards in the circle moved uncomfortably, but Voldemort took no notice. **

"**And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last … a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driven out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master. He sought me in the country where it had long been rumored I was hiding … helped, of course, by the rats he met along the way. **

"How would Wormtail have heard …" Remus started as but stopped when Arthur bowed his head. He had those rumors and told Molly about them … at least he thought he had, and Wormtail had lived in their house …

**Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you not, Wormtail? His filthy little friends told him there was a place, deep in an Albanian forest, that they avoided, where small animals like themselves had met their deaths by a dark shadow that possessed them … **

"**But his journey back to me was not smooth, was it, Wormtail? For, hungry one night, on the edge of the very forest where he had hoped to find me, he foolishly stopped at an inn for some food … and who should he meet there, but one Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic. **

"**Now see the way that fate favors Lord Voldemort. This might have been the end of Wormtail, and of my last hope for regeneration. But Wormtail – displaying a presence of mind I would never have expected from him – **

Sirius cringed at that sentence … displaying a presence of mind I would never have expected from him … he thought very similar things over the years about his friend …

**convinced Bertha Jorkins to accompany him on a nighttime stroll. He overpowered her … he brought her to me. And Bertha Jorkins, who might have ruined all, proved instead to be a gift beyond my wildest dreams … for – with a little persuasion – she became a veritable mine of information. **

"**She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be played at Hogwarts this year. She told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help me, if I could only contact him. **

"How would she know that?" Bill mused out loud what a lot of people were thinking, but that line of questioning didn't seem so important right now.

**She told me many things … but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I could not possess her. I disposed of her." **

The thought that Harry was no longer useful to Voldemort seem to run through everyone's mind.

**Voldemort smiled his terrible smile, his red eyes blank and pitiless. **

"**Wormtail's body, of course, was ill adapted for possession, as all assumed him dead, and would attract far too much attention if noticed. However, he was the able-bodied servant I needed, and, poor wizard though he is, Wormtail was able to follow the instructions I gave him, which would return me to a rudimentary, weak body of my own, a body I would be able to inhabit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth … a spell or two of my own invention … a little help from my dear Nagini," Voldemorts red eyes fell upon the continually circling snake, "a potion concocted from unicorn blood, and the snake venom Nagini provided … I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel. **

"**There was no hope of stealing the Philosopher's Stone anymore, for I knew that Dumbledore would have seen to it that it was destroyed. But I was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing immortality. I set my sights lower … I would settle for my old body back again, and my old strength. **

"**I knew that to achieve this – it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me tonight – I would need three powerful ingredients. Well, one of them was already at hand, was it not, Wormtail? Flesh given by a servant … **

"**My father's bone, naturally, meant that we would have to come here, where he was buried. But ****the blood of a foe … Wormtail would have had me use any wizard, would you not, Wormtail? Any wizard who had hated me … as so many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potter's blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago … for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too … **

_He was willing to wait that long because he wanted to want to be able to kill Harry personally,_ Tonks thought grimly, _he probably feared that if he didn't use Harry's blood he would never be able to be the one to kill Harry. _

"**But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy's protection as long as he is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch him there … Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup … I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his relations and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him? **

"**Why … by using Bertha Jorkins's information, of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the boy's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. Use my Death Eater to ensure that the boy won the tournament – that he touched the Triwizard Cup first – the cup which my Death Eater had turned into a Portkey, which would bring him here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore's help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is … the boy you all believed had been my downfall…" **

**Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand. **

"**Crucio!" **

Everyone gasped and looked at Harry would was clearly shocked and terrified about hearing this.

Duncan found it difficult to keep reading but at the same time he could sense the need to know what was going to happen next.

**It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar; his eyes were rolling madly in his head; he wanted it to end … to black out … to die … **

Neville closed his eyes as he heard the thoughts of someone under that curse and thought of his parents and his friend suffering that pain.

Ron and Hermione were now sitting closer to Harry as if making sure the one in the room was okay and he wasn't going to be tortured.

Sirius pacing wasn't going to work for him any more and he transformed into a dog and he went over to couch and jump up so he was now laying on the Harry's (more like the trio) lap. Harry put his hand on Sirius's back absentmindedly petting him.

**And then it was gone. He was hanging limply in the ropes binding him to the headstone of Voldemort's father, looking up into those bright red eyes through a kind of mist. The night was ringing with the sound of the Death Eaters' laughter. **

"**You see, I think, how foolish it was to suppose that this boy could ever have been stronger than me," said Voldemort. "But I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and ****now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, **

"What … he's going to give you a chance …?" Ron said, his voice hoarse but he was feeling a little hope.

"Probably to prove that he can kill me no matter what I do," Harry said in a hallow voice. "What chance do I have …"

"More than you think," Teddy answered, and everyone looked at him again, a bit of hope now seemed to be spilling into the room.

**and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger. Just a little longer, Nagini," he whispered, and the snake glided away through the grass to where the Death Eaters stood watching. **

******"****Now untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand." **

"That's it," Duncan read, handing the book to his wife.

******A/N: I'm sorry this chapter doesn't have that many comments, there seems to be a lot of things that happened in this chapter that the characters would want to talk about, but seeing as Harry's captured by Voldemort and his Death Eaters I don't really think they would stop and talk about much. I'm thinking before I start the next book, I'd do a chapter to discuss what happened in this chapter and probably the next couple of chapters as well, so that they would talk more about what they learn at that time. **


	36. Prior Incantatem

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty-Six

Prior Incantatem

"**Prior Incantatem," **Juliet read.

Several people frowned at the titled, as it didn't seem to make sense to them knowing what that spell was. Given the current situation, that didn't really seem to matter to them at the moment.

**Wormtail approached Harry, who scrambled to find his feet, to support his own weight before the ropes were untied. Wormtail raised his new silver hand, pulled out the wad of material gagging Harry, and then, with one swipe, cut through the bonds tying Harry to the gravestone.**

**There was a split second, perhaps, when Harry might have considered running for it, but his injured leg shook under him as he stood on the overgrown grave, as the Death Eaters closed ranks, forming a tighter circle around him and Voldemort, so that the gaps where the missing Death Eaters should have stood were filled.**

Everyone tensed as they realized that there was no way for Harry to run away … and they couldn't help but think about how impossible it was for Harry to win a fight …

**Wormtail walked out of the circle to the place where Cedric's body lay and returned with Harry's wand, which he thrust roughly into Harry's hand without looking at him. Then Wormtail resumed his place in the circle of watching Death Eaters.**

Sirius growled from his position on Harry's lap, his angry building at how Wormtail was acting...

"**You have been taught how to duel Harry Potter?" said Voldemort softly, his red eyes glinting through the darkness.**

**At these words Harry remembered, as though from a former life, the dueling club at Hogwarts he had attended briefly two years ago … All he had learned there was the Disarming Spell, "Expelliarmus" … and what use would it be to deprive Voldemort of his wand, even if he could, when he was surrounded by Death Eaters, outnumbered by at least thirty to one? **

"Thirty?" Tonks said frowning. Harry hadn't mentioned thirty names in the last chapter, maybe Voldemort hadn't said them out loud … she wish she knew who they were though. Some of them might be ones that the Aurors didn't suspect yet.

_Thirty to one and they're all fully grown wizards … I'm a goner_, Harry thought miserably. _Why couldn't Voldemort just get over with … instead of all this torture._

**He had never learned anything that could possibly fit him for this. He knew he was facing the thing against which Moody had always warned … the unblockable Avada Kedavra curse – and Voldemort was right – his mother was not here to die for him this time … He was quite unprotected …**

"**We bow to each other. Harry," said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face upturned to Harry. "Come, the niceties must be observed … Dumbledore would like you to show manners … Bow to death, Harry …"**

"He's playing with him," Remus gritted his teeth so lowly only Tonks could hear him, as she was now the only one seating next to him. He balled his fist as he felt so helpless listening to what was going on.

**The Death Eaters were laughing again. Voldemorts lipless mouth was smiling. Harry did not bow. He was not going to let Voldemort play with him before killing him … he was not going to give him that satisfaction …**

Sirius bark sounded of approval, as he wanted Harry to be defiant; it was the only thing he had left to him.

"**I said, bow," Voldemort said, raising his wand – and Harry felt his spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand were bending him ruthlessly forward, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever.**

"That's not effing funny, stupid pricks," Ron snarled under his breath unable to hold back from saying that now.

"**Very good," said Voldemort softly, and as he raised his wand the pressure bearing down upon Harry lifted too. "And now you face me, like a man … straight-backed and proud, the way your father died …**

Remus and Sirius shuddered at the mentions of James's death.

Harry grimaced, but he thought that he would stand tall … and if he had to die than he would want it to be like that … like his father …

"**And now – we duel."**

**Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit again by the Cruciatus Curse. **

Now everyone winched reflectively.

**The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was … White-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain, he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life – **

**And then it stopped. Harry rolled over and scrambled to his feet; he was shaking as uncontrollably as Wormtail had done when his hand had been cut off; he staggered sideways into the wall of watching Death Eaters, and they pushed him away, back toward Voldemort.**

"**A little break," said Voldemort, the slit-like nostrils dilating with excitement, "a little pause … That hurt, didn't it Harry? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"**

"Why does he have to do this?" Hermione gasped letting out a sob, wasn't it enough that Voldemort has taken Harry … why did he have to torture and taunt him like this. What was the point of it?

"He's sadistic," Ginny replied before anyone else could.

**Harry didn't answer. He was going to die like Cedric, those pitiless red eyes were telling him so … he was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it … but he wasn't going to play along. He wasn't going to obey Voldemort … he wasn't going to beg …**

"That's the way Harry," Fred tried to cheer, but he never felt less like cheering in his life. He had to admire Harry though, for defying You-Know-Who even now.

"**I asked you whether you want me to do that again," said Voldemort softly.** "**Answer me! Imperio"**

**And Harry felt, for the third time in his life, the sensation that his mind had been wiped of all thought … Ah, it was bliss, not to think, it was as though he were floating, dreaming … **_**just answer no … say no … just answer no …**_

_**I will not**_**, said a stronger voice, in the back of his head, **_**I won't answer … **_

_**Just answer no …**_

_**I won't do it, I won't say it …**_

_**Just answer no …**_

"**I WON'T!"**

**And these words burst from Harry's mouth; **

"Wow!" Percy said in shock as were most of the people in the room, "you just throw off You-Know-Who's Imperius Curse."

"Er …" was all Harry had to say to that as he couldn't believe that any more than the rest of the people around him.

"That's the way Harry," Fred repeated his statement of moments ago, slightly more cheerful and definitely more impressed than before.

**they echoed through the graveyard, and the dream state was lifted as suddenly as though cold water had been thrown over him – back rushed the aches that the Cruciatus Curse had left all over his body – back rushed the realization of where he was, and what he was facing …**

"On second thought it might have been better if you didn't through it off," George said, not really serious, though not having pain and realizing the horrible situation Harry was now was better than knowing in his opinion.

"**You won't?" said Voldemort quietly, and the Death Eaters were not laughing now. **

"Of course not, the little boy You-Know-Who is trying to humiliate has just done something few people are capable of doing … it's not really funny anymore," Bill said.

"You didn't have to call me a little boy," Harry said dryly.

"Sorry," Bill said giving him a weak smile, "I just meant from their point of view …"

**"You won't say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die … Perhaps another little dose of pain?"**

**Voldemort raised his wand, but this time Harry was ready; with the reflexes born of his Quidditch training, he flung himself sideways onto the ground; he rolled behind the marble headstone of Voldemort s father, and he heard it crack as the curse missed him.**

"**We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry," said Voldemort's soft, cold voice, drawing nearer, as the Death Eaters laughed. "You cannot hide from me. **

"He dodged your curse you freak, he's not hiding," Ron snapped.

**Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean that you would prefer me to finish it now, Harry? Come out, Harry … come out and play, then … it will be quick … it might even be painless … I would not know … I have never died …"**

**Harry crouched behind the headstone and knew the end had come. There was no hope … no help to be had. And as he heard Voldemort draw nearer still, he knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason: He was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort s feet … **

"Harry, don't let him bait you," Remus groaned, Voldemort was probably expecting to come out after his taunts about hiding and being a child.

**he was going to die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defense was possible …**

**Before Voldemort could stick his snakelike face around the headstone. Harry stood up … he gripped his wand tightly in his hand, thrust it out in front of him, and threw himself around the headstone, facing Voldemort.**

**Voldemort was ready. **

Remus cringed, that was what he was afraid of …

**As Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Voldemort cried, "Avada Kedavra!"**

Everyone gasped … terrified of Voldemort's curse … hopeful that Harry's will be able to deflect it …

**A jet of green light issued from Voldemorts wand just as a jet of red light blasted from Harry's – they met in midair – **

Now there was a sigh of relief that everyone knew would be short lived. That curse had been deflected, but You-Know-Who was sure to fire another quickly after it … how long could Harry hold off …

**and suddenly Harry's wand was vibrating as though an electric charge were surging through it; his hand seized up around it; he couldn't have released it if he'd wanted to – and a narrow beam of light connected the two wands, neither red nor green, but bright, deep gold.**

"What?" a few people said confused about what was going on.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, looking at Remus.

"I don't know," Remus said, something nagging at the back of his mind as if he had read about something like this before but he couldn't think about what it was, nor could he focus on that idea right now.

With no one else supplying an explanation, Juliet started reading again.

**Harry, following the beam with his astonished gaze, saw that Voldemort's long white fingers too were gripping a wand that was shaking and vibrating.**

**And then – nothing could have prepared Harry for this – he felt his feet lift from the ground. **

Everyone wondered again what was going on but nothing came to mind.

**He and Voldemort were both being raised into the air, their wands still connected by that thread of shimmering golden light. They glided away from the tombstone of Voldemort's father and then came to rest on a patch of ground that was clear and free of graves … The Death Eaters were shouting; they were asking Voldemort for instructions; they were closing in, reforming the circle around Harry and Voldemort, the snake slithering at their heels, some of them drawing their wands –**

**The golden thread connecting Harry and Voldemort splintered; though the wands remained connected, a thousand more beams arced high over Harry and Voldemort, crisscrossing all around them, until they were enclosed in a golden, dome-shaped web, a cage of light, beyond which the Death Eaters circled like jackals, their cries strangely muffled now …**

"Seriously! What he bloody hell is happening?!" Ron asked, confused.

"Who the hell knows, but this can only be to Harry's advantage," Bill said.

"You think so?" Ron asked.

"Strange, unpredictable magic, something that is catching the Death Eaters, and likely You-Know-Who off guard …" Bill pointed out, "nothing could put Harry in a more dangerous position then he was already in, but this is making the enemy off balance too …"

"**Do nothing!" Voldemort shrieked to the Death Eaters, and Harry saw his red eyes wide with astonishment at what was happening, saw him fighting to break the thread of light still connecting his wand with Harry's; Harry held onto his wand more tightly, with both hands, and the golden thread remained unbroken. "Do nothing unless I command you!" Voldemort shouted to the Death Eaters.**

"Why doesn't have them help?" Percy mused, things are obviously not going as planned … he added in his thoughts and then felt bad about that.

"He can't have them help; he'd look weak if he couldn't kill Potter," Draco answered.

**And then an unearthly and beautiful sound filled the air … It was coming from every thread of the light-spun web vibrating around Harry and Voldemort. It was a sound Harry recognized, though he had heard it only once before in his life: phoenix song.**

**It was the sound of hope to Harry … the most beautiful and welcome thing he had ever heard in his life … He felt as though the song were inside him instead of just around him … It was the sound he connected with Dumbledore, and it was almost as though a friend were speaking in his ear …**

_**Don't break the connection.**_

Everyone couldn't help but agree with that as clearly the connection was causing all the weird magic that was happening …

_**I know. **_**Harry told the music, **_**I know I mustn't **_**… but no sooner had he thought it, than the thing became much harder to do. His wand began to vibrate more powerfully than ever … and now the beam between him and Voldemort changed too … it was as though large beads of light were sliding up and down the thread connecting the wands – Harry felt his wand give a shudder under his hand as the light beads began to slide slowly and steadily his way … The direction of the beams movement was now toward him, from Voldemort, and he felt his wand shudder angrily …**

**As the closest bead of light moved nearer to Harrys wand tip, the wood beneath his fingers grew so hot he feared it would burst into flame. The closer that bead moved, the harder Harry's wand vibrated; he was sure his wand would not survive contact with it; it felt as though it was about to shatter under his fingers –**

**He concentrated every last particle of his mind upon forcing the bead back toward Voldemort, his ears full of phoenix song, his eyes furious, fixed … and slowly, very slowly, the beads quivered to a halt, and then, just as slowly, they began to move the other way … and it was Voldemort's wand that was vibrating extra-hard now … Voldemort who looked astonished, and almost fearful …**

"Bloody effing hell, Harry, you're doing it!" Ron said astonished. "You're beating You-Know-Who!"

Harry wouldn't really go that far, but he was starting to feel some hope …

**One of the beads of light was quivering, inches from the tip of Voldemorts wand. Harry didn't understand why he was doing it, didn't know what it might achieve … but he now concentrated as he had never done in his life on forcing that bead of light right back into Voldemort s wand … and slowly … very slowly … it moved along the golden thread … it trembled for a moment … and then it connected …**

Ron wasn't the only one that was astonished now as in a way Harry was beating You-Know-Who … in strange way that they couldn't fully understand, other than his willpower seemed to have been stronger …

**At once, Voldemorts wand began to emit echoing screams of pain … then – Voldemort's red eyes widened with shock – a dense, smoky hand flew out of the tip of it and vanished … the ghost of the hand he had made Wormtail … more shouts of pain … and then something much larger began to blossom from Voldemorts wand tip, a great, grayish something, that looked as though it were made of the solidest, densest smoke … It was a head … now a chest and arms … the torso of Cedric Diggory.**

"What?" another round of gasp came, this time from everyone.

"Prior Incantatem," Tonks, Percy and Bill said as they remembered the chapter title.

"But why is it happening?" Tonks went on to muse, this was not something she had heard about before. Again, it didn't seem like the right time to go into that decision now so no one answered her.

**If ever Harry might have released his wand from shock, it would have been then, but instinct kept him clutching his wand tightly, so that the thread of golden light remained unbroken, even though the thick gray ghost of Cedric Diggory (was it a ghost? it looked so solid) emerged in its entirety from the end of Voldemort s wand, as though it were squeezing itself out of a very narrow tunnel … and this shade of Cedric stood up, and looked up and down the golden thread of light, and spoke.**

"**Hold on. Harry," it said.**

"He can talk," Tonks said never having heard that before, then again she's never heard of that spell being used on someone that had been killed by the Killing Curse …

**Its voice was distant and echoing. Harry looked at Voldemort … his wide red eyes were still shocked … he had no more expected this than Harry had … and, very dimly Harry heard the frightened yells of the Death Eaters, prowling around the edges of the golden dome … More screams of pain from the wand … and then something else emerged from its tip … the dense shadow of a second head, quickly followed by arms and torso … an old man Harry had seen only in a dream was now pushing himself out of the end of the wand just as Cedric had done … and his ghost, or his shadow, or whatever it was, fell next to Cedric's, and surveyed Harry and Voldemort, and the golden web, and the connected wands, with mild surprise, leaning on his walking stick …**

"**He was a real wizard, then?" the old man said, his eyes on Voldemort. "Killed me, that one did … You fight him, boy …"**

**But already, yet another head was emerging … and this head, gray as a smoky statue, was a woman's … Harry, both arms shaking now as he fought to keep his wand still, saw her drop to the ground and straighten up like the others, staring …**

**The shadow of Bertha Jorkins surveyed the battle before her with wide eyes.**

"**Don't let go, now!" she cried, and her voice echoed like Cedric's as though from very far away. "Don't let him get you, Harry – don't let go!"**

_How do they know what's going on?_ Tonks wondered, this time not voicing her thoughts. She knew this couldn't be ghost, as the ghost would have been created as soon as the death occurred. She was guessing that they were some sort of shadow, as Harry put it, how could they have knowledge about what was taking place right now, she didn't know.

**She and the other two shadowy figures began to pace around the inner walls of the golden web, while the Death Eaters flitted around the outside of it … **

"Well it seems like these ghosty shadowy things are increasing your odd by appear," George said, "if you keep this connection up I'm sure you'll have enough of them to form an army."

Harry was hardly listening to him as he was waiting for what happened next.

He didn't noticed when the pressure in his lap disappeared but he heard the popping sound that Sirius was back to his normal from and sat next to him. Harry could tell that his godfather's thoughts were the same as his … thinking about was going to come next …

**and Voldemort's dead victims whispered as they circled the duelers, whispered words of encouragement to Harry, and hissed words Harry couldn't hear to Voldemort. And now another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemorts wand … and Harry knew when he saw it who it would be … he knew, as though he had expected it from the moment when Cedric had appeared from the wand … knew, because the woman was the one he'd thought of more than any other tonight …**

Harry let out a breath as his thoughts were confirmed … he could feel Sirius's hand in his own, though he wasn't sure who grabbed the others hand … all he knew was this was the closest he would get to seeing his parents … this echo shadowy thing … and he wasn't even seeing them. He was hearing about seeing them.

A tear slid down Harry cheek as he thought of his mum being there to help him. And now Sirius was no longer holding his hand, but had moved to wrap his arm around him, pulling him closer.

**The smoky shadow of a young woman with long hair fell to the ground as Bertha had done, straightened up, and looked at him … and Harry, his arms shaking madly now, looked back into the ghostly face of his mother.**

"**Your father's coming …" he said quietly. "Hold on for your father … it will be all right… hold on…"**

**And he came … first his head, then his body … tall and untidy-haired like Harry, the smoky, shadowy form of James Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort's wand, fell to the ground, and straightened like his wife. He walked close to Harry, looking down at him, and he spoke in the same distant, echoing voice as the others, but quietly, so that Voldemort, his face now livid with fear as his victims prowled around him, could not hear …**

"**When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments … but we will give you time … you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts … do you understand, Harry?"**

"Why would it do that?" Percy questioned, most portkeys were made to be one way, though of course the one that was used on the cup hadn't been timed like most portkeys were, and he had heard of using a portkey to travel from one place and then back. It just didn't seem likely that this cup would be able to do that.

"How does he know that?" Tonks said out loud this time.

"Who cares how or why … they're saving him," Sirius said, he had tears in his own eyes. He had tried to save Harry … he had tried this last year by trying to get that rat and it looked like in the next year by helping Harry get through the tournament, but his efforts didn't seem very much. Lily and James had saved Harry … and it seems like they weren't going to let death stop them from doing so again. He felt so useless and utterly grateful at the same time …

"**Yes," Harry gasped, fighting now to keep a hold on his wand, which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers.**

"**Harry …" whispered the figure of Cedric, "take my body back, will you? Take my body back to my parents …"**

"**I will," said Harry, his face screwed up with the effort of holding the wand.**

"**Do it now," whispered his father's voice, "be ready to run … do it now …"**

"**NOW!" Harry yelled; he didn't think he could have held on for another moment anyway – he pulled his wand upward with an almighty wrench, and the golden thread broke; the cage of light vanished, the phoenix song died – but the shadowy figures of Voldemort's victims did not disappear - they were closing in upon Voldemort, shielding Harry from his gaze – **

**And Harry ran as he had never run in his life, knocking two stunned Death Eaters aside as he passed; he zigzagged behind headstones, feeling their curses following him, hearing them hit the headstones – he was dodging curses and graves, pelting toward Cedric's body, no longer aware of the pain in his leg, his whole being concentrated on what he had to do – **

"**Stun him!" he heard Voldemort scream.**

**Ten feet from Cedric, Harry dived behind a marble angel to avoid the jets of red light and saw the tip of its wing shatter as the spells hit it. Gripping his wand more tightly, he dashed out from behind the angel –**

"**Impedimenta!" he bellowed, pointing his wand wildly over his shoulder at the Death Eaters running at him.**

**From a muffled yell, he thought he had stopped at least one of them, but there was no time to stop and look; he jumped over the cup and dived as he heard more wand blasts behind him; more jets of light flew over his head as he fell, stretching out his hand to grab Cedric's arm …**

"**Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!" shrieked Voldemort. Harry's hand had closed on Cedric's wrist; one tombstone stood between him and Voldemort, but Cedric was too heavy to carry, and the cup was out of reach –**

Juliet had read this quickly and no one dare interrupt as they held their breaths as Harry was escaping … at this part though everyone gasped with fear.

**Voldemort's red eyes flamed in the darkness. Harry saw his mouth curl into a smile, saw him raise his wand.**

"**Accio!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the Triwizard Cup. It flew into the air and soared toward him. Harry caught it by the handle –**

"BRILLIANT!" Ron shouted as other cheered their own words of relief and excitement. Harry had really just gotten away from You-Know-Who and his many Death Eaters.

"I'm sure glad you helped me with that one, Hermione," Harry said in a muffled voice, his relief was still mixed with the revelation that his parents had saved him.

**He heard Voldemort s scream of fury at the same moment that he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked – it was speeding him away in a whirl of wind and color, and Cedric along with him … They were going back.**

"That's it," Juliet said, finishing the chapters though she wasn't sure if anyone was paying attention to the last few words.


	37. Veritaserum

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Sorry this took so long, my brother was in a car accident and I haven't been able to concentrate on writing for the last week or so. I'm going to try to have the next chapter by next week but I'm not sure how long it's going to take me to write that now.  
**

**Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Veritaserum

Sirius reached out to pick up the book after several minutes were everyone let a moment of relief that Harry had made it out of the graveyard. Sirius was still pretty sure that he didn't want to read but now that he was no longer at his last nerve he felt he could handle it. Besides, now that he was sitting next to Harry he felt better too.

"Before we start …" Percy said and everyone looked at him. "The portkey … I don't understand how it works."

"Well you see there's this charm call Portus …" Fred started and Percy glared at him.

"What I mean, It doesn't make sense that it would still be active … what was the point of allowing an escape route," Percy said and then quickly adding, "of course I'm glad that there was … it's just not logically."

"It was an escape route, but Harry didn't know that, or would expect that the cup would still be a portkey," Teddy said.

"Okay … but still …" Percy said.

"The odds that anyone could escape the graveyard was probably miniscule … practically impossible," Remus said his tone was in awe as he thought of how Harry had got away. "So you would have to think about the reason why Voldemort would want a way for someone to be transported back into Hogwarts."

"You think Voldemort wanted to get into Hogwarts," Harry said.

"That wasn't my thought actually, though I wouldn't put it pass him," Remus said. "I was thinking that he want to make sure your … that everyone knew what happened."

"So he made the portkey come back to Hogwarts …" Percy started.

"Voldemort didn't do this … his follower did," Tonks said. "They were the one that made it so the portkey would travel back there. Remus do you know how the enchantments on Hogwarts works?"

"No … not entirely," Remus said, "I did have a conversation with Filius about them, nothing in detail. He said that they had increase the normal protection on Hogwarts last year when Sirius was trying to get it."

"Obviously that didn't stop me from using the passageways," Sirius said.

"No," Remus agreed, that was something he was still kicking himself for not tell Dumbledore about. It ending up being okay because Sirius was, but if he wasn't …

"Remus?" Sirius said as it didn't say anything.

"Sorry," Remus said blushing slightly, "the protection on the castle can't stop entrance that aren't known, but it does stop someone from being able to apparate into Hogwarts and the only person that can make a portkey into Hogwarts is the Headmaster."

"But if you make a portkey out of it, you could also charmed it so it will return?" Bill said ending questioning as he wasn't sure if that was allowed within the charms of Hogwarts.

"Yes … I would guess it would work that way," Remus said. "It's hard to tell though … whoever did this charm must have done extensive research to make sure this worked properly."

"Why don't we just get back to reading," Sirius said, "You've got me all worked up again Moody."

"By mentioning the follower," Remus said.

"Yep," Sirius said flipping the pages of the book until he was to the right chapter and started reading. **"Veritaserum."**

"The truth potion?" Percy said questioningly.

Sirius ignored this question, no longer feeling up to listening to something like that.

**Harry felt himself slam flat into the ground; his face was pressed into grass; the smell of it filled his nostrils. He had closed his eyes while the Portkey transported him, and he kept them closed now. He did not move. All the breath seemed to have been knocked out of him; his head was swimming so badly he felt as though the ground beneath him were swaying like the deck of a ship. To hold himself steady, he tightened his hold on the two things he was still clutching: the smooth, cold handle of the Triwizard Cup and Cedric's body. **

"Oh dear," Molly said turning her head so it rested on Arthur's shoulders. Thinking about the image of Harry … and poor Cedric … like that brought her back to tears.

**He felt as though he would slide away into the blackness gathering at the edges of his brain if he let go of either of them. Shock and exhaustion kept him on the ground, breathing in the smell of the grass, waiting … waiting for someone to do something … something to happen … and all the while, his scar burned dully on his forehead …**

**A torrent of sound deafened and confused him; there were voices everywhere, footsteps, screams … He remained where he was, his face screwed up against the noise, as though it were a nightmare that would pass …**

**Then a pair of hands seized him roughly and turned him over.**

"**Harry! Harry!"**

**He opened his eyes.**

**He was looking up at the starry sky, and Albus Dumbledore was crouched over him. **

"Do you think Dumbledore know that Harry was gone?" Percy mused. "I wonder if the Triwizard cup was supposed to bring the champion to the front of the maze …"

"Maybe it was, but I'm sure Dumbledore knows that something has gone wrong," Remus said.

**The dark shadows of a crowd of people pressed in around them, pushing nearer; Harry felt the ground beneath his head reverberating with their footsteps.**

**He had come back to the edge of the maze. He could see the stands rising above him, the shapes of people moving in them, the stars above.**

**Harry let go of the cup, but he clutched Cedric to him even more tightly. He raised his free hand and seized Dumbledore's wrist, while Dumbledore's face swam in and out of focus.**

"**He's back," Harry whispered. "He's back. Voldemort."**

"Good Harry, good, Dumbledore needs to know that right away," Sirius said, and then quickly started reading again.

"**What's going on? What's happened?"**

**The face of Cornelius Fudge appeared upside down over Harry; it looked white, appalled.**

"**My God - Diggory!" it whispered. "Dumbledore – he's dead!"**

**The words were repeated, the shadowy figures pressing in on them gasped it to those around them … and then others shouted it – screeched it – into the night –**

"**He's dead!" "He's dead!" "Cedric Diggory! Dead!"**

Harry shudder, in fact everyone did at the thought of the crowd's reactions.

"**Harry, let go of him," he heard Fudge's voice say, and he felt fingers trying to pry him from Cedric's limp body, but Harry wouldn't let him go. Then Dumbledore's face, which was still blurred and misted, came closer.**

"**Harry, you can't help him now. It's over. Let go."**

"**He wanted me to bring him back," Harry muttered – it seemed important to explain this. "He wanted me to bring him back to his parents …"**

"**That's right. Harry … just let go now …"**

**Dumbledore bent down, and with extraordinary strength for a man so old and thin, raised Harry from the ground and set him on his feet. Harry swayed. His head was pounding. His injured leg would no longer support his weight. The crowd around them jostled, fighting to get closer, pressing darkly in on him – "What's happened?" "What's wrong with him?" "Diggorys dead!"**

"Do they really have to gawk and crowd you now," Hermione moaned, it was hard to her to listen to the reaction she couldn't imagine how bad it was for the Harry in the book.

"**He'll need to go to the hospital wing!" Fudge was saying loudly. "He's ill, he's injured – Dumbledore, Diggory's parents, they're here, they're in the stands …"**

"**I'll take Harry, Dumbledore, I'll take him -"**

"**No, I would prefer-"**

"**Dumbledore, Amos Diggorys running … he's coming over … Don't you think you should tell him – before he sees -?"**

"Yes, he should," Molly whimpered, her head was resting on Arthur's shoulder as he held her to him. She didn't want to think about what it was like to see her child's body … though being told beforehand probably wouldn't be that much better …

"**Harry, stay here -"**

**Girls were screaming, sobbing hysterically … The scene flickered oddly before Harry's eyes …**

"**It's all right, son, I've got you … come on … hospital wing …"**

"**Dumbledore said stay," said Harry thickly, the pounding in his scar making him feel as though he was about to throw up; his vision was blurring worse than ever.**

"**You need to lie down … Come on now …" **

**Someone larger and stronger than he was, was half pulling, half carrying him through the frightened crowd. **

"I don't like this, I don't like this at all," Hermione groaned.

"No … I don't other," Sirius agreed, his mind on the Death Eater. Nearly everyone at Hogwarts would have listened to Harry when he said that Dumbledore didn't want him to be move. They wouldn't have just disregarded that … they also wouldn't be talking Harry so forcefully away.

**Harry heard people gasping, screaming, and shouting as the man supporting him pushed a path through them, taking him back to the castle. Across the lawn, past the lake and the Durmstrang ship, Harry heard nothing but the heavy breathing of the man helping him walk.**

"**What happened Harry?" the man asked at last as he lifted Harry up the stone steps. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. It was Mad-Eye Moody.**

"I don't understand," Sirius frowned, this went against his previous thoughts.

"But this is good … Moody can keep Harry safe," Molly said frantically, as if she was trying to convince herself that was the case. She didn't like what was going on any more than Sirius did.

"Would Moody have taken Harry away from Dumbledore, even knowing that Dumbledore wanted him to stay?" Sirius asked turning to Tonks who knew him best.

She was pale, her eyes wide and she looked like she was thinking about several things and trying to piece together her thoughts throughout the book.

"Tonks?" Sirius said in a pleading tone.

"No," Tonks said slowly, still stuck in her thoughts, "I don't think he would. Not unless …"

"That's impossible," Bill said. "There's no way he could be … I mean it's Mad-Eye Moody!"

"Is it?" Tonks said, piecing together a theory in her mind that would explain what was happening right now.

Sirius's felt sick at the implication of Tonks's last comment but couldn't stand talking about it any longer. He needed to hear what was going to happen next.

"**Cup was a Portkey," said Harry as they crossed the entrance hall. "Took me and Cedric to a graveyard … and Voldemort was there … Lord Voldemort …"**

**Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Up the marble stairs …**

"**The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?"**

"**Killed Cedric … they killed Cedric …"**

"**And then?"**

**Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Along the corridor …**

"**Made a potion … got his body back …"**

"**The Dark Lord got his body back? He's returned?"**

"**And the Death Eaters came … and then we dueled …"**

"**You dueled with the Dark Lord?"**

"**Got away … my wand … did something funny … I saw my mum and dad … they came out of his wand …"**

Harry grimaced, if they others were right, and this was the Death Eater that had put his name in the tournament and was part of the reason he went through all of that, he hated the fact that he was talking so openly to him. He was sure he came to respect Moody … had thought that he was someone that could be trusted … and he was wrong.

"**In here Harry … in here, and sit down … You'll be all right now … drink this …"**

Everyone held their breath, worried about whatever it was that Harry was given …

**Harry heard a key scrape in a lock and felt a cup being pushed into his hands.**

"**Drink it … you'll feel better … come on, now. Harry, I need to know exactly what happened …"**

"Why?" Percy asked. If he was a Death Eater why would it matter if he heard what happened … of course if he was Moody it would explain why he would want to know … Maybe the others were just being too hasty. He didn't get an answer to his question.

**Moody helped tip the stuff down Harrys throat; he coughed, a peppery taste burning his throat. Moody's office came into sharper focus, and so did Moody himself … **

Now everyone let out their breath as it seemed that what Harry drank was at least not poison.

**He looked as white as Fudge had looked, and both eyes were fixed unblinkingly upon Harry's face.**

"**Voldemort's back, Harry? You're sure he's back? How did he do it?"**

"**He took stuff from his father's grave, and from Wormtail, and me," said Harry.**

**His head felt clearer; his scar wasn't hurting so badly; he could now see Moodys face distinctly, even though the office was dark. He could still hear screaming and shouting from the distant Quidditch field.**

"**What did the Dark Lord take from you?" said Moody.**

"**Blood," said Harry, raising his arm. His sleeve was ripped where Wormtail's dagger had torn it.**

Sirius spat out this line, even with how much he was worried about Harry, he was still felt rage at the mention of the rat (which wasn't very surprising since it was talking about the rat hurting Harry).

**Moody let out his breath in a long, low hiss.**

"**And the Death Eaters? They returned?"**

"**Yes," said Harry. "Loads of them …"**

"**How did he treat them?" Moody asked quietly. "Did he forgive them?"**

Tonks closed her eyes, that was not a question Moody, the Moody she knew, would be concerned about.

**But Harry had suddenly remembered. He should have told Dumbledore, he should have said it straightaway –**

"**There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There's a Death Eater here – they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I got through to the end -"**

Harry gritted his teeth, hoping the others were wrong, because if not he was being such a fool right now.

**Harry tried to get up, but Moody pushed him back down.**

"**I know who the Death Eater is," he said quietly.**

"**Karkaroff?" said Harry wildly. "Where is he? Have you got him? Is he locked up?"**

"**Karkaroff?" said Moody with an odd laugh. "Karkaroff fled tonight, when he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm. He betrayed too many faithful supporters of the Dark Lord to wish to meet them … but I doubt he will get far. The Dark Lord has ways of tracking his enemies."**

"**Karkaroff's gone? He ran away? But then – he didn't put my name in the goblet?"**

"**No," said Moody slowly. "No, he didn't. It was I who did that."**

Everyone groaned, the last hope that maybe they had been wrong about what was happening gone.

"He would never do this," Arthur mumbled in disbelief, but that didn't make him feel any better. "Not by his choice."

**Harry heard, but didn't believe.**

"**No, you didn't," he said. "You didn't do that … you can't have done …"**

"**I assure you I did," said Moody, and his magical eye swung around and fixed upon the door, and Harry knew he was making sure that there was no one outside it. At the same time, Moody drew out his wand and pointed it at Harry.**

Sirius spat out the last words as his anger (and fear) grew.

"**He forgave them, then?" he said. "The Death Eaters who went free? The ones who escaped Azkaban?"**

"**What?" said Harry.**

**He was looking at the wand Moody was pointing at him. This was a bad joke, it had to be.**

"It's really, don't let your guard down just because it's unexpected," Sirius said encouragingly to the book and then read before anyone else could say anything.

"**I asked you," said Moody quietly, "whether he forgave the scum who never even went to look for him. Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him. **

Remus raised an eyebrow at him. _Why did he seem to care much whether or not Voldemort forgave his followers that didn't get caught?_

**The faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky."**

"He's the one that took your wand …" Bill said.

"But Moody wasn't at the World Cup …" Harry said.

"It wasn't him, but it was this guy," Tonks mumbled. "But who was around you?"

Harry looked at her confused having no idea how to answer that any more than he could when that had happened.

"**You fired … What are you talking about …?"**

"**I told you Harry … I told you. If there's one thing I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry …" Moody's face was suddenly lit with an insane smile. **

"It's not just his smile that's insane," George said grimly.

**"Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful … prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all … you"**

"**You didn't … it – it can't be you …"**

"**Who put your name in the Goblet of Fire, under the name of a different school? I did. **

"And he was the one that suggested that was what happened too," Percy noted to himself, though loudly enough for the others to hear.

**Who frightened off every person I thought might try to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament? I did. Who nudged Hagrid into showing you the dragons? I did. Who helped you see the only way you could beat the dragon? I did"**

**Moody's magical eye had now left the door. It was fixed upon Harry. His lopsided mouth leered more widely than ever.**

"**It hasn't been easy, Harry, guiding you through these tasks without arousing suspicion. I have had to use every ounce of cunning I possess, so that my hand would not be detectable in your success. Dumbledore would have been very suspicious if you had managed everything too easily. As long as you got into that maze, preferably with a decent head start – then, I knew, I would have a chance of getting rid of the other champions and leaving your way clear. But I also had to contend with your stupidity. The second task … that was when I was most afraid we would fail. I was keeping watch on you, Potter. I knew you hadn't worked out the egg's clue, so I had to give you another hint –"**

"**You didn't," Harry said hoarsely. "Cedric gave me the clue -"**

"**Who told Cedric to open it underwater? I did. **

"That's what C-Cedric meant when he said he had help on that clue," Tonks mumbled, finding it difficult to say the poor boy's name. She was also finding it difficult listening to what this man was saying as there were things that had been bothering her but she never put the pieces together to see that Moody was the danger. The funny thing was, she knew that Moody would be the one most disappointed in her for not suspecting it was him all along.

**I trusted that he would pass the information on to you. Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter. I was sure Cedric would want to repay you for telling him about the dragons, and so he did. But even then, Potter, even then you seemed likely to fail. I was watching all the time … all those hours in the library. Didn't you realize that the book you needed was in your dormitory all along? I planted it there early on, I gave it to the Longbottom boy, don't you remember? Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. It would have told you all you needed to know about gillyweed. I expected you to ask everyone and anyone you could for help. **

"Then clearly he hasn't been watching you as closely as he thought he had," Fred said, "Everyone knows you don't ask for help, unless it's from these two."

**Longbottom would have told you in an instant. **

Neville nodded his head, he would have told Harry that if he asked, but he agreed with Fred too. Harry usually only went to Ron and Hermione for help.

"I should have asked," Harry said frowning, even if it would have played into the hands of this mad man, it would have been better to figure out what he could have done in the task. It was hard for him though, to trust people. What with his relatives at home and the Professor (well Professors now) that tried to kill him. Of course he had trusted Moody, hadn't he? And look where that got him.

"It's okay, Harry," Neville said honestly.

**But you did not … you did not … You have a streak of pride and independence that might have ruined all.**

"I for one am glad that his proud and independent, it helps him to fight off pricks like you," Sirius snarled. "And you're bloody master too!"

"I'm not sure that's …" Harry started, but Sirius didn't even hear him as he had already started to read again.

"**So what could I do? Feed you information from another innocent source. You told me at the Yule Ball a house-elf called Dobby had given you a Christmas present. I called the elf to the** **staffroom to collect some robes for cleaning. **

"Oh …" Bill said looking thoughtful. It made sense that it would have been a set up for Dobby to overhear a conversation that was the key to helping Harry in the Second Task, as it would be unlikely for it to happen naturally. _Not that I bother questioning it at the time_, he thought wryly.

**I staged a loud conversation with Professor McGonagall about the hostages who had been taken, and whether Potter would think to use gillyweed. And your little elf friend ran straight to Snape's office and then hurried to find you …"**

**Moody's wand was still pointing directly at Harry's heart. Over his shoulder, foggy shapes were moving in the Foe-Glass on the wall.**

"**You were so long in that lake, Potter, I thought you had drowned. But luckily, Dumbledore took your idiocy for nobility, and marked you high for it. I breathed again.**

"It was nobility," Sirius grumbled.

"**You had an easier time of it than you should have in that maze tonight, of course," said Moody. **

"Yes, I thought so," Sirius said, "that was why there weren't too many creatures for you to fight and you felt like someone was watching you."

"He was watching me," Harry agreed, "his eye could have follow me in the maze easily."

**"I was patrolling around it, able to see through the outer hedges, able to curse many obstacles out of your way. I Stunned Fleur Delacour as she passed. **

"At least he just stunned her," Bill said thinking that there were many other curses that he could have used that would have been worse.

**I put the Imperius Curse on Krum, so that he would finish Diggory and leave your path to the cup clear."**

"He was Imperius," Bill said, that made a lot more sense to him then Krum using an Unforgiveable Curse on someone else.

**Harry stared at Moody. He just didn't see how this could be … Dumbledore's friend, the famous Auror … the one who had caught so many Death Eaters … It made no sense … no sense at all …**

Tonks nodded her head, he was right, the Mad-eye Moody that taught her couldn't be Death Eater. She didn't blame Harry at all for denial.

**The foggy shapes in the Foe-Glass were sharpening, had become more distinct. Harry could see the outlines of three people over Moody's shoulder, moving closer and closer. But Moody wasn't watching them. His magical eye was upon Harry.**

"What ever happened to his Constant Vigilance?" Fred said. "He's not doing a very good job at it right now."

"Good," Sirius grumbled.

"**The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you Potter, and he so wanted to," whispered Moody. "Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him. **

"I wouldn't be surprised if he rewarded him with death," Teddy said.

"Why would he do that?" Percy asked him.

"Do you really think Voldemort would appreciate anyone doing his job for him," Teddy said.

**I gave you to him – the thing he needed above all to regenerate – and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter … closer than a son …"**

"Now that's a scary idea … Voldemort having a kid," George commented.

**Moody's normal eye was bulging, the magical eye fixed upon Harry. The door was barred, and Harry knew he would never reach his own wand in time …**

"**The Dark Lord and I," said Moody, and he looked completely insane now, towering over Harry, leering down at him, "have much in common. Both of us, for instance, had very disappointing fathers … very disappointing indeed. Both of us suffered the indignity, Harry, of being named after those fathers. And both of us had the pleasure … the very great pleasure … of killing our fathers to ensure the continued rise of the Dark Order!"**

"This guy is a sick bastard," Sirius grumbled, he never liked his father (and he hated his mother even more) but he wouldn't kill them.

"**You're mad," Harry said **

"Well spotted Harry, I never would have come to that conclusion myself," Fred said.

"Actually I think he's much more than mad … he's psychopath," George said.

– **he couldn't stop himself – "you're mad!"**

"**Mad, am I?" said Moody, his voice rising uncontrollably. **

"Yep," Fred said.

**"We'll see! We'll see who's mad, now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him – and now – I conquer you!"**

**Moody raised his wand, he opened his mouth; Harry plunged his own hand into his robes –**

"**Stupefy!" **

There were some confused and hopeful exclamation but Sirius keep reading.

**There was a blinding flash of red light, and with a great splintering and crashing, the door of Moody's office was blasted apart –** **Moody was thrown backward onto the office floor. **

"Thank Merlin," Sirius said as other said other things. It was odd that they hadn't been on the edge of their seats like they had while Harry was in the grave yard, as he had been in danger with while this man was conscious. It just somehow seemed less likely that Harry would be hurt after escaping such a dangerous situation … Sirius reasoned to himself.

**Harry, still staring at the place where Moody's face had been, saw Albus Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall looking back at him out of the Foe-Glass. He looked around and saw the three of them standing in the doorway, Dumbledore in front, his wand outstretched.**

**At that moment, Harry fully understood for the first time why people said Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. **

Or maybe it was because Dumbledore was there (though he hadn't been in the room he was still near enough) that had been subconsciously reassuring to Sirius.

"Er … are you going to keep reading," Remus asked him.

"Sorry … I was thinking," Sirius sighed.

**The look upon Dumbledore's face as he stared down at the unconscious form of Mad-Eye Moody was more terrible than Harry could have ever imagined. There was no benign smile upon Dumbledore's face, no twinkle in the eyes behind the spectacles. There was cold fury in every line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as though he were giving off burning heat.**

Sirius shuddered at this description, easily recalling the last time he had seen Dumbledore thirteen years ago after what happened to Lily and James. His old headmaster hadn't said anything and Sirius had been in too much shock to react, but the look was something he would never forget.

**He stepped into the office, placed a foot underneath Moodys unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible. Snape followed him, looking into the Foe-Glass, where his own face was still visible, glaring into the room. Professor McGonagall went straight to Harry.**

"**Come along, Potter," she whispered. The thin line of her mouth was twitching as though she was about to cry. **

"Yes well, one student had just been killed and another one was just about to, it's no wonder she would be near tears," Ginny said, McGonagall was strict, stern and fierce but it was clear to see she cared about her students.

**"Come along … hospital wing …"**

"Argh, now we're never going to know what happened," Tonks groaned.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get to know," Sirius said.

"Why are you so confident?" Tonks asked.

"Well for one I can see that Dumbledore will want Harry to stay so that helps," Sirius said looking ahead in the book.

"Why would he want him to stay?" Molly gasped, "Harry needs to go to the hospital … after everything he's been through …"

"Yes, he does," Sirius agreed with that, "but he's in shock right now with everything that happened in this room … and also in the grave yard too, but that probably won't change because we don't know anyone that could help him understand that better than he already does …"

"Sirius, you're point," Remus said as his friend seemed to be rumbling a bit.

"He needs answers," Sirius said. "If Dumbledore didn't allow him to hear then I would have told Harry when I found out. It's better this way, I'm sure."

"Why does he need to know this?" Molly asked, thinking about all the things that Harry already knew … already thought about that no child should have to worry about.

"Because not knowing will only hurt him," Sirius answered. "He was just about to be killed by his Professor that he had trusted … he needs to know why."

Molly closed her eyes and leaned more into Arthur all the fight going out of her. What could she really say after a statement like that?

"**No," said Dumbledore sharply.**

"**Dumbledore, he ought to – look at him – he's been through enough tonight –"**

"**He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand," said Dumbledore curtly. "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. He needs to know who has put him through the ordeal he has suffered tonight, and why,"**

"Damn, I should have just read what Dumbledore said," Sirius sighed, "he's every elongate with words."

"You didn't do so bad yourself, Padfoot," Remus said.

"That's because I'm brilliant," Sirius smiled at him.

"**Moody," Harry said. He was still in a state of complete disbelief. "How can it have been Moody?"**

"**This is not Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore quietly. "You have never known Alastor Moody. The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. **

Tonks nodded her head as that was what made her realize that it couldn't possibly be the Moody that she knew either.

**The moment he took you, I knew – and I followed."**

"Then what the bloody hell took you so long to get there?!" Ron demanded, thinking about how long Moody, or whoever he was, had Harry alone.

No one answer that because they weren't sure themselves.

**Dumbledore bent down over Moody's limp form and put a hand inside his robes. He pulled out Moody's hip flask and a set of keys on a ring. Then he turned to Professors McGonagall and Snape.**

"**Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. **

"**Winky?" Hermione questioned. "Why would he want Winky?" **

Some looked confused, others looked thoughtful, but Sirius had little patient for them to work that out. The answer would come soon enough he was sure.

**Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog **

"She's coming to get me," Sirius exclaimed happily.

"That or she's going to bring Fang up," Fred joked. "A good slobbering should cheer Harry up."

"Then I'll make sure I do that," Sirius smirked.

"You know you really don't have to do that," Harry commented, making a face. He was happy though, knowing that Sirius would be there for him in the book as his godfather's presents has been a comfort for him while reading.

**sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here."**

**If either Snape or McGonagall found these instructions peculiar, they hid their confusion.**

"They're probably too used to getting odd request from Dumbledore to question him now," Arthur mused wryly.

**Both turned at once and left the office. Dumbledore walked over to the trunk with seven locks, fitted the first key in the lock, and opened it. It contained a mass of spell-books. Dumbledore closed the trunk, placed a second key in the second lock, and opened the trunk again. The spellbooks had vanished; this time it contained an assortment of broken Sneako-scopes, some parchment and quills, and what looked like a silvery Invisibility Cloak. Harry watched, astounded, as Dumbledore placed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth keys in their respective locks, reopening the trunk each time, and revealing different contents each time. Then he placed the seventh key in the lock, threw open the lid, and Harry let out a cry of amazement.**

**He was looking down into a kind of pit, an underground room, and lying on the floor some ten feet below, apparently fast asleep, thin and starved in appearance, was the real Mad-Eye Moody. His wooden leg was gone, the socket that should have held the magical eye looked empty beneath its lid, and chunks of his grizzled hair were missing.**

Tonks gasped and turned instinctively towards Remus, who was the only person sitting close to her. He wrapped his arm around her soothingly trying to comfort her. Tonks closed her eyes as she imagined her mentor look as he was described in the book. He was so beaten up with all his scars and missing body parts, but he had never looked weak and broken before. He sounded like he was now, after being held captive for nearly a year, likely being tortured and clearly starved so he was barely alive.

**Harry stared, thunderstruck, between the sleeping Moody in the trunk and the unconscious Moody lying on the floor of the office.**

**Dumbledore climbed into the trunk, lowered himself, and fell lightly onto the floor beside the sleeping Moody. He bent over him.**

"**Stunned – controlled by the Imperius Curse – very weak," he said. "Of course, they would have needed to keep him alive. **

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped.

"I just mean … he's Mad-eye Moody … he's one of the best fighters ever," Ron went on before Hermione could say anymore.

"They needed him alive for the potion … so the imposer could keep being him," Percy answered.

**Harry, throw down the imposter's cloak – he's freezing. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, but he seems in no immediate danger."**

**Harry did as he was told; Dumbledore covered Moody in the cloak, tucked it around him, and clambered out of the trunk again. Then he picked up the hip flask that stood upon the desk, unscrewed it, and turned it over. A thick glutinous liquid splattered onto the office floor.**

"**Polyjuice Potion, Harry," said Dumbledore. "You see the simplicity of it, and the brilliance. For Moody never does drink except from his hip flask, he's well known for it. **

"**Maybe he should be warned about that danger," Tonks sniffed, still leaning into Remus's comforting arms. "He really shouldn't be that predicable …" **

**The imposter needed, of course, to keep the real Moody close by, so that he could continue making the potion. You see his hair …" Dumbledore looked down on the Moody in the trunk. "The imposter has been cutting it off all year, see where it is uneven? But I think, in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody** **might have forgotten to take it as frequendy as he should have done … on the hour … every hour … We shall see."**

"Or we shall wait an hour until it wears off," George added.

**Dumbledore pulled out the chair at the desk and sat down upon it, his eyes fixed upon the unconscious Moody on the floor. Harry stared at him too. Minutes passed in silence …**

**Then, before Harry's very eyes, the face of the man on the floor began to change. The scars were disappearing, the skin was becoming smooth; the mangled nose became whole and started to shrink. The long mane of grizzled gray hair was withdrawing into the scalp and turning the color of straw. Suddenly, with a loud clunk, the wooden leg fell away as a normal leg regrew in its place; next moment, the magical eyeball had popped out of the man's face as a real eye replaced it; it rolled away across the floor and continued to swivel in every direction.**

**Harry saw a man lying before him, pale-skinned, slightly freckled, with a mop of fair hair. He knew who he was. He had seen him in Dumbledore's Pensieve, had watched him being led away from court by the dementors, trying to convince Mr. Crouch that he was innocent … but he was lined around the eyes now and looked much older …**

"Bloody effing hell … but he's supposed to be dead!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Well clearly he's not," Remus said, looking as stunned as his friend.

"This is why you knew he had done it!" Neville said looking fiercely at Teddy.

The older boy nodded his head grimly.

Neville balled his fist and glared at the book, bitter rage filled him as he thought of this man teaching him for a year … pulling him aside after they had learned the about the Unforgivable Curses and talking to him … all the while being one of the people that participated in what happened to his parents. Oh maybe he hadn't cast the curse but he was there the night his parents were taken away from him forever. This was the man that taught him all year!

Percy paled as well hearing who the imposer was, remembering clearly that he had admitted to killing his father. The man he idolized was dead, killed by his Death Eater son who should have been dead but wasn't. How had that happened?

**There were hurried footsteps outside in the corridor. Snape had returned with Winky at his heels. Professor McGonagall was right behind them.**

"**Crouch!" Snape said, stopping dead in the doorway. "Barty Crouch!"**

"**Good heavens," said Professor McGonagall, stopping dead and staring down at the man on the floor.**

**Filthy, disheveled, Winky peered around Snape's legs. Her mouth opened wide and she let out a piercing shriek.**

"Oh dear," Hermione sighed, thinking about how the poor elf was going to handle this.

"**Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?"**

**She flung herself forward onto the young man's chest.**

"**You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master's son!"**

"Yeah well, Master's son has killed Master so I wouldn't feel so sorry for him," Sirius said, he didn't like Crouch and he never would … and he would never like Crouch Jr. either.

"**He is simply Stunned, Winky," said Dumbledore. "Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?"**

**Snape handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid: the Veritaserum with which he had threatened Harry in class. Dumbledore got up, bent over the man on the floor, and pulled him into a sitting position against the wall beneath the Foe-Glass, in which the reflections of Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall were still glaring down upon them all. Winky remained on her knees, trembling, her hands over her face. Dumbledore forced the man's mouth open and poured three drops inside it. Then he pointed his wand at the man's chest and said, "Ennervate."**

**Crouch's son opened his eyes. His face was slack, his gaze unfocused.**

"Which means the potion is working," Bill noted.

**Dumbledore knelt before him, so that their faces were level.**

"**Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked quietly.**

**The man's eyelids flickered.**

"**Yes," he muttered.**

"**I would like you to tell us," said Dumbledore softly, "how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?"**

**Crouch took a deep, shuddering breath, then began to speak in a flat, expressionless voice.**

"**My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. **

Percy shook his head, that was so wrong, Crouch had to know that his son was guilty, convinced of it, but he agreed to free him anyways. It would have been easier to understand if Crouch had tried harder to get his son off before being sentencing …

**He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother's hairs. She took a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my hairs. We took on each other's appearance."**

"Well that sounds a lot easier than what I had to do," Sirius grimaced.

"You never would have taken that option, allowing someone else to take your place there," Remus said.

"Well if Snape was the one offering …" Sirius said, though he saw what Remus meant, he couldn't let someone else suffer that fake … not someone that cared about him enough to bare the dementors even if they were dying.

"It looks like you weren't the first one to break out of Azkaban," Tonks said, "I wonder if anyone else was able to escape like that."

"I don't know, but it might be a good idea if there was a test for Polyjuice Potion use at Azkaban to make sure it doesn't happen," Arthur said, knowing full well that was never likely to actually happen.

**Winky was shaking her head, trembling.**

"**Say no more. Master Barty, say no more, you is getting your father into trouble!"**

**But Crouch took another deep breath and continued in the same flat voice.**

"**The dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors.**

"**My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me."**

"I wonder if he even cares about her … about her death," Sirius said harshly, yep he definitely hated the Crouchs. Bloody hypocritically bastards.

**The man's eyelids flickered.**

"**And what did your father do with you, when he had got you home?" said Dumbledore quietly.**

"**Staged my mother's death. A quiet, private funeral. That grave is empty. The house-elf nursed me back to health. Then I had to be concealed. I had to be controlled. My father had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength, I thought only of finding my master … of returning to his service."**

"And this is the person Crouch choice to save!" Neville spat, _he should have let him rot in Azkaban where he belong._

"**How did your father subdue you?" said Dumbledore.**

"**The Imperius Curse," Moody said. "I was under my fathers control. I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. I was always with the house-elf. She was my keeper and caretaker. She pitied me. She persuaded my father to give me occasional treats. Rewards for my good behavior."**

Neville growled at that, _good behavior or not this man didn't deserve any rewards!_

"**Master Barty, Master Barty," sobbed Winky through her hands. "You isn't ought to tell them, we is getting in trouble …"**

"**Did anybody ever discover that you were still alive?" said Dumbledore softly. "Did anyone know except your father and the house-elf?"**

"**Yes," said Crouch, his eyelids flickering again. "A witch in my father's office. Bertha Jorkins. She came to the house with papers for my father s signature. He was not at home. Winky showed her inside and returned to the kitchen, to me. But Bertha Jorkins heard Winky talking to me. She came to investigate. She heard enough to guess who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak. My** **father arrived home. She confronted him. He put a very powerful Memory Charm on her to make her forget what she'd found out. Too powerful. He said it damaged her memory permanently."**

"And that's justifiable of course, because it's much more important that he keeps his criminal son safe and sound than not hurting an innocent (albeit too curious) woman," Sirius hissed, the more he heard the angrier that he got.

"**Why is she coming to nose into my masters private business?" sobbed Winky. "Why isn't she leaving us be?"**

"**Tell me about the Quidditch World Cup," said Dumbledore.**

"**Winky talked my father into it," said Crouch, still in the same monotonous voice. "She spent months persuading him. I had not left the house for years. I had loved Quidditch. Let him go, she said. He will be in his Invisibility Cloak. He can watch. Let him smell fresh air for once. She said my mother would have wanted it. She told my father that my mother had died to give me freedom. She had not saved me for a life of imprisonment. He agreed in the end.**

"**It was carefully planned. My father led me and Winky up to the Top Box early in the day. Winky was to say that she was saving a seat for my father. I was to sit there, invisible. When everyone had left the box, we would emerge. Winky would appear to be alone. Nobody would ever know.**

"**But Winky didn't know that I was growing stronger. I was starting to fight my father's Imperius Curse. There were times when I was almost myself again. There were brief periods when I seemed outside his control. It happened, there, in the Top Box. It was like waking from a deep sleep. I found myself out in public, in the middle of the match, and I saw, in front of me, a wand sticking out of a boys pocket. **

Harry grimaced at how easily his wand had been stolen.

**I had not been allowed a wand since before Azkaban. I stole it. Winky didn't know. Winky is frightened of heights. She had her face hidden."**

"**Master Barty, you bad boy!" whispered Winky, tears trickling between her fingers.**

"**So you took the wand," said Dumbledore, "and what did you do with it?"**

"**We went back to the tent," said Crouch. "Then we heard them. We heard the Death Eaters. The ones who had never been to Azkaban. The ones who had never suffered for my master. They had turned their backs on him. They were not enslaved, as I was. They were free to seek him, but they did not. They were merely making sport of Muggles. The sound of their voices awoke me. My mind was clearer than it had been in years. I was angry. I had the wand. I wanted to attack them for their disloyalty to my master. My father had left the tent; he had gone to free the Muggles. Winky was afraid to see me so angry. She used her own brand of magic to bind me to her. She pulled me from the tent, pulled me into the forest, away from the Death Eaters. I tried to hold her back. I wanted to return to the campsite. I wanted to show those Death Eaters what loyalty to the Dark Lord meant, and to punish them for their lack of it. I used the stolen wand to cast the Dark Mark into the sky.**

"You know all in all, it was rather lucky the Death Eaters did what they did at the cup," Bill said.

"What?"

"I'm just saying, that Crouch would have still had Harry's wand and who knows what he would have done with it if they had gotten home," Bill said. "And who knows what Harry would have done if his wand was gone."

"He would have bought another wand," Ron answered as Harry grimaced at the idea of getting another wand. He liked the one he got thank you very much.

"**Ministry wizards arrived. They shot Stunning Spells everywhere. One of the spells came through the trees where Winky and I stood. The bond connecting us was broken. We were both Stunned.**

"That's why he went to search in the woods after her heard Winky was stunned," Hermione said glaring at the book. "He knew all the time that it wasn't her fault and he blamed her anyways."

"**When Winky was discovered, my father knew I must be nearby. He searched the bushes where she had been found and felt me lying there. He waited until the other Ministry members had left the forest. He put me back under the Imperius Curse and took me home. He dismissed Winky. She had failed him. She had let me acquire a wand. She had almost let me escape."**

"What an effing idiot, I'm sure things were a lot easier without the help from the elf," Sirius shook his head. "Crouch should have been the bloody one to go to Azkaban without a trail. Because of his stupidity now everyone is going to have to suffer."

**Winky let out a wail of despair. **

"**Now it was just Father and I, alone in the house. And then … and then …" Crouch's head rolled on his neck, and an insane grin spread across his face. "My master came for me.**

"**He arrived at our house late one night in the arms of his servant Wormtail. My master had found out that I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament. She told him the old Auror, Moody, was going to teach at Hogwarts. He tortured her until he broke through the Memory Charm my father had placed upon her. She told him I had escaped from Azkaban. She told him my father kept me imprisoned to prevent me from seeking my master. And so my master knew that I was still his faithful servant – perhaps the most faithful of all. My master conceived a plan, based upon the information Bertha had given him. He needed me. He arrived at our house near midnight. My father answered the door."**

**The smile spread wider over Crouch's face, as though recalling the sweetest memory of his life. Winky's petrified brown eyes were visible through her fingers. She seemed too appalled to speak.**

"**It was very quick. My father was placed under the Imperius Curse by my master. Now my father was the one imprisoned, controlled. My master forced him to go about his business as usual, to act as though nothing was wrong. And I was released. I awoke. I was myself again, alive as I hadn't been in years.**

"**And what did Lord Voldemort ask you to do?" said Dumbledore.**

"**He asked me whether I was ready to risk everything for him. I was ready. It was my dream, my greatest ambition, to serve him, to prove myself to him. He told me he needed to place a faithful servant at Hogwarts. A servant who would guide Harry Potter through the Triwizard Tournament without appearing to do so. A servant who would watch over Harry Potter. Ensure he reached the Triwizard Cup. Turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my** **master. But first -"**

"**You needed Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were blazing, though his voice remained calm.**

"Moody was attacked the day before school started …" Tonks moaned, "I assumed that he defeated his attacker …"

"**Wormtail and I did it. We had prepared the Polyjuice Potion beforehand. We journeyed to his house. Moody put up a struggle. There was a commotion. We managed to subdue him just in time. Forced him into a compartment of his own magical trunk. Took some of his hair and added** **it to the potion. I drank it; I became Moody's double. I took his leg and his eye. I was ready to face Arthur Weasley when he arrived to sort out the Muggles who had heard a disturbance. I** **made the dustbins move around the yard. I told Arthur Weasley I had heard intruders in my yard, who had set off the dustbins. Then I packed up Moody's clothes and Dark detectors, put them in the trunk with Moody, and set off for Hogwarts. I kept him alive, under the Imperius Curse. I wanted to be able to question him. To find out about his past, learn his habits, so that I could fool even Dumbledore. I also needed his hair to make the Polyjuice Potion. The other ingredients were easy. I stole boom-slang skin from the dungeons. **

"That was the boom-slang skin that was missing … Snape wasn't talking about our second year," Hermione said.

**When the Potions master found me in his office, I said I was under orders to search it."**

"**And what became of Wormtail after you attacked Moody?" said Dumbledore.**

"**Wormtail returned to care for my master, in my father's house, and to keep watch over my father."**

"**But your father escaped," said Dumbledore.**

"**Yes. After a while he began to fight the Imperius Curse just as I had done. **

"Expect he took half a year and you took twelve years," Percy noted, he felt sick to his stomach listening to all of this. His boss had always seemed to follow the rules so many. In the end he had chosen his family over what was right and he didn't even like his son …

**There were periods when he knew what was happening. My master decided it was no longer safe for my father to leave the house. He forced him to send letters to the Ministry instead. He made him write and say he was ill. But Wormtail neglected his duty. He was not watchful enough. My father escaped. My master guessed that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore everything, to confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me from Azkaban.**

"**My master sent me word of my father's escape. He told me to stop him at all costs. So I waited and watched. I used the map I had taken from Harry Potter. The map that had almost ruined everything."**

Sirius snarled at that, his map had help this psychopath out.

"He was the Barty Crouch I saw in Snape's office," Harry groaned.

"**Map?" said Dumbledore quickly. "What map is this?"**

"**Potter's map of Hogwarts. Potter saw me on it. Potter saw me stealing more ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion from Snape's office one night. He thought I was my father. We have the same first name. I took the map from Potter that night. I told him my father hated Dark wizards. Potter believed my father was after Snape.**

"He always seems like such a likely suspect," Ron sighed and Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"**For a week I waited for my father to arrive at Hogwarts. At last, one evening, the map showed my father entering the grounds. I pulled on my Invisibility Cloak and went down to meet him. He was walking around the edge of the forest. Then Potter came, and Krum. I waited. I could not hurt Potter; my master needed him. Potter ran to get Dumbledore. I Stunned Krum. I killed my father."**

"**Noooo!" wailed Winky. "Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you saying?"**

"**You killed your father," Dumbledore said, in the same soft voice. "What did you do with the body?"**

"**Carried it into the forest. Covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. I had the map with me. I watched Potter run into the castle. He met Snape. Dumbledore joined them. I watched Potter bringing Dumbledore out of the castle. I walked back out of the forest, doubled around behind them, went to meet them. I told Dumbledore Snape had told me where to come.**

"**Dumbledore told me to go and look for my father. I went back to my father's body. Watched the map. When everyone was gone, I Transfigured my father's body. He became a bone … I buried it, while wearing the Invisibility Cloak, in the freshly dug earth in front of Hagrid's cabin."**

**There was complete silence now, except for Winky's continued sobs. Then Dumbledore said, "And tonight …"**

"**I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before dinner," whispered Barty Crouch.**

"**Turned it into a Portkey. My master's plan worked. He is returned to power and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of wizards."**

"Or you'll go to Azkaban and rot because your master doesn't care about you," Sirius grumbled.

**The insane smile lit his features once more, and his head drooped onto his shoulder as Winky wailed and sobbed at his side.**

"That's the end of the stupid chapter," Sirius said, through the book to Teddy who was next to read.


	38. The Parting of the Ways

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to post, but I had a family issue that I had to deal with and i lost some of the drive I had for this story. Not to mention I don't have as much time to write as I used to in the past. I'm going to try to get a chapter every week but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that with the free time I have. The only good thing I could say is that I had been planning on taking a month off after I finished the fourth book, and now I'm not going to do that, so the wait for the fifth book shouldn't be as long. **

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Parting of the Ways

Teddy took the book. He was trying to be quite as they read but he felt devastated upon hearing in detail what Harry went through. Trying to keep his emotions under control he cleared his throat and started reading. **"The Parting of the Ways." **

**Dumbledore stood up. He stared down at Barty Crouch for a moment with disgust on his face. Then he raised his wand once more and ropes flew out of it, ropes that twisted themselves around Barty Crouch, binding him tightly. He turned to Professor McGonagall.**

"**Minerva, could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry upstairs?"**

"**Of course," said Professor McGonagall. She looked slightly nauseous, as though she had just watched someone being sick. However, when she drew out her wand and pointed it at Barty Crouch, her hand was quite steady.**

"Of course it is, Minerva is always steady," Arthur said.

"**Severus" – Dumbledore turned to Snape – "please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office. He will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour's time if he needs me."**

A few people looked at Teddy, as his tone while he read the last paragraph was a little off. He was thinking about what he knew was going to happen, the little he knew about it anyways, and he felt his angry grow.

"What's the matter?" Arthur asked, not liking the tone he was hearing when his boss was mentioned and growing apprehensive.

"You'll see," Teddy answered shortly and read before anyone else could interrupt.

**Snape nodded silently and swept out of the room.**

"**Harry?" Dumbledore said gently.**

**Harry got up and swayed again; the pain in his leg, which he had not noticed all the time he had been listening to Crouch, now returned in full measure. He also realized that he was shaking. Dumbledore gripped his arm and helped him out into the dark corridor.**

"**I want you to come up to my office first. Harry," he said quietly as they headed up the passageway. **

"It would be better if he let you rest," Sirius grumbled, he was still sitting next to Harry, the boy was shivering, but he seemed to be trying to control himself. He noticed too that Hermione was sitting closer to Harry than before and Ron keep looking at him. Harry really had made some good friends.

**"Sirius is waiting for us there."**

"Oh, never mind than, go to the office," Sirius smiled.

"Okay I guess I will than," Harry replied, he was smiling too. It had comfort him a lot to have Sirius near him as they read the book.

**Harry nodded. A kind of numbness and a sense of complete unreality were upon him, but he did not care; he was even glad of it. He didn't want to have to think about anything that had happened since he had first touched the Triwizard Cup. He didn't want to have to examine the memories, fresh and sharp as photographs, which kept flashing across his mind. Mad-Eye Moody, inside the trunk. Wormtail, slumped on the ground, cradling his stump of an arm. Voldemort, rising from the steaming cauldron. Cedric … dead … Cedric, asking to be returned to his parents …**

"For someone that doesn't want to think about these things, you sure have a way of thinking about them," Fred complained.

Harry just shrugged, he didn't think he had much of a choice about thinking about those things.

"**Professor," Harry mumbled, "where are Mr. and Mrs. Diggory?"**

"**They are with Professor Sprout," said Dumbledore. His voice, which had been so calm throughout the interrogation of Barty Crouch, shook very slightly for the first time. **

"Dumbledore cares about his students," Remus said. "This would be hard for him …"

"He's not the only one," Tonks sighed.

**"She was Head of Cedric's house, and knew him best."**

**They had reached the stone gargoyle. Dumbledore gave the password, it sprang aside, and he and Harry went up the moving spiral staircase to the oak door.**

**Dumbledore pushed it open. Sirius was standing there. His face was white and gaunt as it had been when he had escaped Azkaban. In one swift moment, he had crossed the room.**

"**Harry, are you all right? I knew it - I knew something like this - what happened?"**

"A calming presence as always, ah Padfoot," Remus said.

"I can't control myself very well when I'm nervous," Sirius said grimacing, that was evident enough while he was reading. Hearing Harry was in danger seem to bring the anxiety out of him.

**His hands shook as he helped Harry into a chair in front of the desk.**

"**What happened?" he asked more urgently.**

**Dumbledore began to tell Sirius everything Barty Crouch had said. Harry was only half listening. So tired every bone in his body was aching, he wanted nothing more than to sit here, undisturbed, for hours and hours, until he fell asleep and didn't have to think or feel anymore.**

"You really do need to get to bed," Molly said, definitely talking to the book.

**There was a soft rush of wings. Fawkes the phoenix had left his perch, flown across the office, and landed on Harry's knee.**

"'**Lo, Fawkes," said Harry quietly. **

"Fawkes isn't lo," Fred said shaking his head.

"He's hi," George finished, the twins grinning as others rolled their eyes.

"Fawkes must really like you to go and fly towards you like that," Remus said.

"Yeah, I guess," Harry said, "he really save me back in second year."

"He appreciated your loyalty to Dumbledore then," Teddy said. "That's not why he likes you now though."

"Why does he like me?" Harry asked as Remus questioned, "how would you know that?"

"There's no specific reason Harry, he just likes you," Teddy answered Harry.

"How do you know that about Fawkes?" Remus repeated his question.

"Because he told me," Teddy answered and then started reading before Remus could question him farther.

**He stroked the phoenix's beautiful scarlet-and gold plumage. Fawkes blinked peacefully up at him. There was something comforting about his warm weight.**

**Dumbledore stopped talking. He sat down opposite Harry, behind his desk. He was looking at Harry, who avoided his eyes. Dumbledore was going to question him. He was going to make Harry relive everything.**

"**I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze Harry," said Dumbledore.**

"It looks like you're right about that," Sirius grimaced, he had hoped that Dumbledore would have given Harry a chance to breath before he asked this of the boy.

"He should let Harry rest, after everything that he's been through," Molly complained. She hadn't like that Harry had to listen to Moody/Crouch but there had been something to Dumbledore's explanation that Harry knowing what happened so that he could heal quicker. This wasn't the same though. This was for Dumbledore benefit, not Harry's.

"**We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore?" said Sirius harshly. He had put a hand on Harrys shoulder. "Let him have a sleep. Let him rest."**

"I'm glad you're there for him," Molly told Sirius, though she wish she could have been there too.

**Harry felt a rush of gratitude toward Sirius, but Dumbledore took no notice of Sirius's words. He leaned forward toward Harry.**

**Very unwillingly, Harry raised his head and looked into those blue eyes.**

"Don't do that, he's going to hypnotize you!" George exclaimed jokingly.

"**If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, "by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."**

"Hypnotize you with reason," George added, as if was what was happening now.

"I still don't think he needs to say anything right now," Molly grumbled and Sirius nodded his head in agreement.

"Dumbledore wants to know the truth … and he needs to know it," Harry said softly. "Anyways, I don't think it's going to be any easier to talk about this in the next few days."

**The phoenix let out one soft, quavering note. It shivered in the air, and Harry felt as though a drop of hot liquid had slipped down his throat into his stomach, warming him, and strengthening him.**

"Do phoenix do that to everyone?" Duncan mused out loud, he had been silent for most part the last few chapters, too stunned to speak. Still he had not meant to say this out loud, and indeed only realized that he had when everyone turned to look at him. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Remus answered. "Though I don't know the answer to the question. Perhaps Teddy does?" he added looking at the boy.

Teddy smiled at Remus, his dad was clever when he wanted to know the answer to something, he thought amused. "They can have that effect on anyone as long as they want to. They can also bring fear into those who they deem as their enemies."

"You certainly know a lot about phoenixes," Remus said and Teddy just smiled at him before reading again. "Why can't he just say why he knows phoenixes so well," he grumbled to himself.

"It must have something to do with your expression," Tonks answered his whispered question, knowing that he hadn't been talking to her in the first place.

"My expression?" Remus asked.

"It's highly amusing," Tonks informed him and he grimaced at her.

**He took a deep breath and began to tell them. As he spoke, visions of everything that had passed that night seemed to rise before his eyes; **

Harry groaned, and Sirius wrapped an arm around him, this was exactly why he wanted this to wait, Harry didn't need the sharp reminder about what happened right now.

**he saw the sparkling surface of the potion that had revived Voldemort; he saw the Death Eaters Apparating between the graves around them; he saw Cedric's body, lying on the ground beside the cup.**

**Once or twice, Sirius made a noise as though about to say something, his hand still tight on Harry's shoulder, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him, and Harry was glad of this, because it was easier to keep going now he had started. **

"I'll remember that," Sirius mumbled so only Harry could hear him, if something like this happened again, he never wanted to make things harder for Harry.

**It was even a relief; he felt almost as though something poisonous were being extracted from him. It was costing him every bit of determination he had to keep talking, yet he sensed that once he had finished, he would feel better.**

"Fine, I get it, you should talk," Sirius grumbled, this time so everyone could hear.

Harry looked at his godfather, his expression was half angry and half pouting, a combination that Harry couldn't help but smile at.

"I bet you feel that way because you knew you'd have to tell Dumbledore this no matter what, but after you done you won't have to talk about it again," Hermione said sadly.

"You don't think he'll tell us?" Ron questioned, Harry always told them what happened.

"After what happened this time …" she said thinking about how Harry had watched Cedric died, and that was only the first of the horrible things he went through. "I don't know."

Harry frowned, he didn't know the answer to that either. This wasn't a plot or mystery that he was trying to unravel were talking to his friends helped him figure out what was going on. What was done was done, and there was nothing left to discuss. This also wasn't like his first year when things were like an adventure and no one was hurt (except for Quirrell but he was Voldemort's henchman). So much had happened in that graveyard that he was sure he was never going to be the same (even after just reading about it). He didn't think it was something he was going to talk about in depth again, but he would probably tell his friends parts of what happened that night. Then he remembered that none of this happened, and hopefully it never would. Then again Teddy had said, or at least implied that he would still have to go to the graveyard … that somehow that might be for the best …

**When Harry told of Wormtail piercing his arm with the dagger, however, Sirius let out a vehement exclamation and Dumbledore stood up so quickly that Harry started. Dumbledore walked around the desk and told Harry to stretch out his arm.**

**Harry showed them both the place where his robes were torn and the cut beneath them.**

"**He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's," Harry told Dumbledore. "He said the protection my – my mother left in me – he'd have it too. And he was right – he could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face."**

**For a fleeting instant, Harry thought he saw a gleam of something like triumph in Dumbledore's eyes. **

"What the bloody hell is that about?" Ron asked. "Why would Dumbledore look triumphant?"

"I don't know," Arthur answered his son looking around at the others in the room, who all seemed just as confused by that as he was.

"Obviously Voldemort being able to get close and touch Harry isn't a good thing, Dumbledore wouldn't be happy about that," Tonks said. "If I had a guess I'd say that he thinks there's going to be some kind of side effect that Voldemort hadn't anticipated."

"Interesting theory," Remus said.

"But what could that side effect be that could make Dumbledore look triumphant?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," Bill answered the question as most of the others were trying to think again. "Something tells me without knowing what Dumbledore knows is going to make it very hard for us to figure out."

**But next second Harry was sure he had imagined it, for when Dumbledore had returned to his seat behind the desk, he looked as old and weary as Harry had ever seen him.**

"Then again, maybe it was nothing after all," Harry said, not liking that he had gotten everyone in the room worked up when it could have just been his imagination.

"Don't dismiss you're gut feelings so quickly," Sirius said.

"I'm not sure that was a gut feeling, it was more like him seeing something …" Remus said.

"So that means he should dismiss it?" Sirius narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"No, he shouldn't dismiss what he noticed," Remus said. "You're rather observant Harry. And Dumbledore is very good at hiding his emotions."

"If he is that good then I couldn't have seen what I thought I did," Harry started.

"Or the thought that Dumbledore had was so big, exciting, that he couldn't hid his emotion," Remus said.

"Whatever you say," Harry rolled his eyes.

"You are so stubborn," Sirius said fondly, smiling at him.

"**Very well," he said, sitting down again. "Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Harry, continue, please."**

**Harry went on; he explained how Voldemort had emerged from the cauldron, and told them all he could remember of Voldemort's speech to the Death Eaters. Then he told how Voldemort had untied him, returned his wand to him, and prepared to duel.**

"Which was a huge mistake," Fred said.

**But when he reached the part where the golden beam of light had connected his and Voldemort's wands, he found his throat obstructed. He tried to keep talking, but the memories of what had come out of Voldemort's wand were flooding into his mind. He could see Cedric emerging, see the old man, Bertha Jorkins … his father … his mother …**

**He was glad when Sirius broke the silence.**

"**The wands connected?" he said, looking from Harry to Dumbledore. "Why?"**

"I was wondering the same thing," Sirius said.

**Harry looked up at Dumbledore again, on whose face there was an arrested look. "Priori Incantatem," he muttered.**

"Yes, that explains what happened after they connected, but not why they were connected in the first place," George said shaking his head. "He's not very good at explaining things."

"He's good at explaining things," Harry countered. "He just doesn't always explain everything you want to know."

**His eyes gazed into Harry's and it was almost as though an invisible beam of understanding shot between them.**

"**The Reverse Spell effect?" said Sirius sharply.**

"**Exactly," said Dumbledore. "Harry's wand and Voldemorts wand share cores. **

"Of course," Remus groaned, remembering what they learned when Harry's wand was talked about before the first task. "I've read about wandlore … wands that share a core will never work properly work against each other. Supposively the more powerful the wand is the greater that connection and it's effects are."

**Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. This phoenix, in fact," **

"Fawkes! My wand core came from Fawkes!" Harry exclaimed.

"So I'll take it you didn't know that," Sirius chuckled.

"Is that why Fawkes likes me?" Harry asked Teddy.

"No, that would imply that Fawkes likes Voldemort, which he most certainly does not," Teddy said.

**he added, and he pointed at the scarlet-and-gold bird, perching peacefully on Harry's knee.**

"**My wand's feather came from Fawkes?" Harry said, amazed.**

"**Yes," said Dumbledore. "Mr. Ollivander wrote to tell me you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago."**

"Is he supposed to do that?" Juliet wandered. "Tell others about the wand that someone bought."

"**So what happens when a wand meets its brother?" said Sirius.**

"**They will not work properly against each other," said Dumbledore. "If, however, the owners of the wands force the wands to do battle … a very rare effect will take place. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed – in reverse. The most recent first … and then those which preceded it …"**

**He looked interrogatively at Harry, and Harry nodded.**

"**Which means," said Dumbledore slowly, his eyes upon Harry's face, "that some form of Cedric must have reappeared."**

**Harry nodded again.**

"**Diggory came back to life?" said Sirius sharply.**

"Honestly Sirius, you know that can't happen," Tonks said.

Sirius glared at her, of course he knew that. "Maybe I was afraid that it make them some kind of ghost. That's sort of a life, but not really."

"Maybe," Tonks said doubtfully.

"You think it would be bad if they were a ghost?" Harry said thinking of his parents, it might have been nice to see them as he had in the book … a chance to get to know them.

"I've talked to Nick about being a ghost," Sirius answered, guessing by Harry's expression, he was pretty sure what the boy was thinking. "It's a lonely existence, a shadow of a life, and as far of his knowledge there was no way of moving on after you choice to be a ghost. The reason why he still tries to join the Headless Hunt is that it's something to do. Which is also the reason for the Headless Hunt itself."

"**No spell can reawaken the dead," said Dumbledore heavily. "All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. A shadow of the living Cedric would have emerged from the wand … am I correct, Harry?"**

"**He spoke to me," Harry said. He was suddenly shaking again. "Th … the ghost Cedric, or whatever he was, spoke."**

"**An echo," said Dumbledore, **

Harry sighed, so that meant they weren't ghost. That would explain why they disappeared so quickly of course. After hearing what Sirius had said, he was glad that he hadn't inadvertently turned them into a ghost.

**"which retained Cedric's appearance and character. I am guessing other such forms appeared … less recent victims of Voldemort's wand …"**

"**An old man," Harry said, his throat still constricted. "Bertha Jorkins. And …"**

"**Your parents?" said Dumbledore quietly.**

"**Yes," said Harry.**

**Sirius's grip on Harry's shoulder was now so tight it was painful.**

"Sorry," Sirius said.

"Don't worry about it," Harry said, understanding that Sirius probably wanted to see his parents almost as much as he did, even if it was for only a moment and the longing to have more time (real time) with them.

"**The last murders the wand performed," said Dumbledore, nodding. "In reverse order. More would have appeared, of course, had you maintained the connection. Very well, Harry, these echoes, these shadows … what did they do?"**

"They saved my life," Harry answered shortly.

**Harry described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Harry's mother had told him what to do, how Cedric's had made its final request.**

**At this point Harry found he could not continue. He looked around at Sirius and saw that he had his face in his hands.**

**Harry suddenly became aware that Fawkes had left his knee. The phoenix had fluttered to the floor. It was resting its beautiful head against Harry's injured leg, and thick, pearly tears were falling from its eyes onto the wound left by the spider. The pain vanished. The skin mended. His leg was repaired.**

"**I will say it again," said Dumbledore as the phoenix rose into the air and resettled itself upon the perch beside the door. "You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight Harry. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it – and you have now given us all we have a right to expect. You will come with me to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight. A Sleeping Potion, and some peace … Sirius, would you like to stay with him?"**

"Of course I'd like to stay with him," Sirius said, though he was pleased by the fact that Dumbledore was allowing it. Being a 'mass murderer' made it difficult to do such things, and made Dumbledore cautious about his brilliant disguise.

**Sirius nodded and stood up. He transformed back into the great black dog and walked with Harry and Dumbledore out of the office, accompanying them down a flight of stairs to the hospital wing.**

**When Dumbledore pushed open the door Harry saw Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione grouped around a harassed-looking Madam Pomfrey. They appeared to be demanding to know where Harry was and what had happened to him.**

Harry didn't say anything but he felt a swell of pleasure that Hermione and the Weasleys were there for them. Of course he thought they would be, but the conformation still made him happy.

**All of them whipped around as Harry, Dumbledore, and the black dog entered, and Mrs. Weasley let out a kind of muffled scream.**

"**Harry! Oh Harry!"**

**She started to hurry toward him, but Dumbledore moved between them.**

"**Molly," he said, holding up a hand, "please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him," he added, looking around at Ron, Hermione, and Bill too, **

"Why aren't we there?" Fred asked pointing between himself and George. Ginny nodded her head, wondering why she wasn't there either. "I mean Bill's there and he hardly even knows Harry. No offense Bill."

"None taken, you're right, as of now I don't know Harry very well," Bill said. "But I'm smart enough to realize that Harry's import to everyone in our family that knows him, which means he is import to me." He then added to Harry, "I am looking forward to actually getting to know you."

"You after all you read, I'm sure you know me pretty well by now," Harry said.

"True," Bill smiled, _and I've learned a lot more about my youngest brother_, he added in his thoughts.

"So why aren't we there?" Fred repeated his question.

"Harry doesn't need to be overwhelmed, and it's probably very late …" Molly started to say.

"You let those two stay," George pouted.

"I doubt there's a thing Mum could do to keep us away," Ron said, well prepared to surfer whatever punishment his mum would give him to make sure that Harry was okay.

Molly looked at her youngest son, she didn't appreciate what he said, but she knew he meant it. It was the way he was.

**"you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."**

**Mrs. Weasley nodded. She was very white. She rounded on Ron, Hermione, and Bill as though they were being noisy, and hissed, "Did you hear? He needs quiet!"**

All the Weasley children rolled their eyes at their mum's comment.

"**Headmaster," said Madam Pomfrey, staring at the great black dog that was Sirius, "may I ask what -?"**

"**This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while," said Dumbledore simply. "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. **

"I wouldn't be so sure about it," Remus said, "he may find it extremely amusing."

"He may," Sirius agreed with a smile.

**Harry – I will wait while you get into bed."**

**Harry felt an inexpressible sense of gratitude to Dumbledore for asking the others not to question him. It wasn't as though he didn't want them there; but the thought of explaining it all over again, the idea of reliving it one more time, was more than he could stand.**

"**I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school." He left.**

Harry didn't like staying at the hospital very much, but the idea about what people would be saying after what happened made him think that staying in the hospital might be better.

**As Madam Pomfrey led Harry to a nearby bed, he caught sight of the real Moody lying motionless in a bed at the far end of the room. His wooden leg and magical eye were lying on the bedside table.**

"**Is he okay?" Harry asked.**

"**He'll be fine," said Madam Pomfrey, **

"Good," Tonks said sadly, again thinking how her mentor had been held for nearly a year.

**giving Harry some pajamas and pulling screens around him. He took off his robes, pulled on the pajamas, and got into bed. Ron, Hermione, Bill, Mrs. Weasley, and the black dog came around the screen and settled themselves in chairs on either side of him. Ron and Hermione were looking at him almost cautiously, as though scared of him.**

"More like scared for you," Hermione corrected.

"**I'm all right," he told them. "Just tired."**

**Mrs. Weasleys eyes filled with tears as she smoothed his bed-covers unnecessarily.**

**Madam Pomfrey, who had bustled off to her office, returned holding a small bottle of some purple potion and a goblet.**

"**You'll need to drink all of this. Harry," she said. "It's a potion for dreamless sleep."**

**Harry took the goblet and drank a few mouthfuls. He felt himself becoming drowsy at once. Everything around him became hazy; the lamps around the hospital wing seemed to be winking at him in a friendly way through the screen around his bed; his body felt as though it was sinking deeper into the warmth of the feather matress. Before he could finish the potion, before he could say another word, his exhaustion had carried him off to sleep.**

**Harry woke up, so warm, so very sleepy, that he didn't open his eyes, wanting to drop off again. The room was still dimly lit; he was sure it was still nighttime and had a feeling that he couldn't have been asleep very long.**

"You should be asleep for hours," Remus said frowning.

**Then he heard whispering around him.**

"**They'll wake him if they don't shut up!"**

"No, they obviously woke him up," George corrected.

"**What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?"**

**Harry opened his eyes blearily. Someone had removed his glasses. He could see the fuzzy outlines of Mrs. Weasley and Bill close by. Mrs. Weasley was on her feet.**

"**That's Fudge's voice," she whispered. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"**

Arthur stiffened, he really didn't like where this was going.

**Now Harry could hear them too: people shouting and running toward the hospital wing.**

"**Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly.**

"**You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled Professor McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out -"**

**Harry heard the hospital doors burst open. Unnoticed by any of the people around his bed, all of whom were staring at the door as Bill pulled back the screens, Harry sat up and put his glasses back on.**

**Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall and Snape were at his heels.**

"**Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley.**

"Interesting … isn't Dumbledore supposed to be talking to Fudge now?" Percy frowned.

"I suppose they missed each other," Bill said, "which mean that Harry really wasn't asleep at all."

"**He's not here," said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "This is a hospital wing. Minister, don't you think you'd do better to -"**

**But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward.**

"**What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you – I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch –"**

"Tisk tisk, McGonagall, we're so disappointed," Fred said shaking his head.

"**There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"**

Fred and George laughter stopped after that sentence and they gave the book their full attention (along with everyone else in the room). They had no idea what had happened, but they knew whatever it was, was going to be bad and very serious.

**Harry had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control like this. There were angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and a hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury.-**

"**When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," said Snape, in a low voice; he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. "He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -"**

Sirius went rigid his complexion paling. He knew exactly what happened … a fear that haunted him still … something so horrible he didn't wish it upon anyone. Even the piece of scum that had done such horrible things deserved that. Not even Voldemort … though Sirius wondered if he even had a soul …

"**I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but –"**

"**My dear woman!" roared Fudge, who likewise looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -"**

**But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's.**

"**The moment that - that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and – and -"**

"It gave him a kiss," Harry shuddered as other in the paled and looked horrified.

Neville had a hard look in his eye, part of him thinking that Crouch deserved what he got. It was ugly but his parents were left as a shell of themselves, why shouldn't Crouch be left the same way. He felt Ginny grabbed is hand and he couldn't help but wonder if she knew what he was thinking she would be disgusted in him, but looking at her eyes he had to believe she did know his thought.

**Harry felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to find words to describe what had happened. He did not need her to finish her sentence. He knew what the dementor must have done. It had administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.**

Neville closed his eyes painfully, _worse than dead_, he had thought that about his parents on more than one occasion.

"**By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Fudge. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths'."**

"**But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."**

"**Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Fudge. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"**

Arthur groaned, not liking his boss's initial reaction to news. Angry and unwilling to listen/believe … this was Fudge at the worst.

"**Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Those peoples' deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."**

**Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavy weight into his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore.**

"**You-Know-Who … returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore …"**

Now everyone was groaning tense at Fudge reaction.

"But he has to believe what's going on!" Molly groaned out loud. "He has too."

"Hopefully he will," Remus said sadly, but he knew even Molly wasn't wishful thinking enough to believe that.

"**As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," said Dumbledore, "we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort – learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins – went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."**

"**See here, Dumbledore," said Fudge, and Harry was astonished to see a slight smile dawning on his face, "you – you can't seriously believe that You-Know-Who – back? Come now, come** **now … certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders – but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore …"**

"**When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," said Dumbledore steadily. "He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."**

**Dumbledore glanced around at Harry and saw that he was awake, but shook his head and said, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."**

**Fudge's curious smile lingered. He too glanced at Harry, then looked back at Dumbledore, and said, "You are - er - prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"**

"Why wouldn't he take Harry's word?!" Ron huffed indignantly on his friend's behalf. "Harry would never lie about something like that."

"Of course he wouldn't, son," Arthur said. "We know that."

"I don't get it, Fudge always treated me … er …" Harry started not sure how to say how Fudge treated him.

"You mean he's usually fawning all over you," Ron said getting to what his friend was saying. "He didn't exactly take your word for anything last year either when you said Sirius was innocent."

"That's true," Harry allowed. "But that time he clung to Snape's insistence that I was confounded. What, does he think I was confounded again?"

"I don't know Harry," Arthur answered him this time. "But I think he would rather believe anything other than the fact that You-Know-Who is back. The same with what you were saying about Sirius too, I'd imagine. It was better that you were confounded than be right about the Ministry holding an innocent in Azkaban for so long."

"Hm," was Harry's only response.

"That's horrible," Hermione said. "The truth should matters more than what he's willing to believe."

"Yes, it should be, but sadly that's not always the cause," Duncan said to his daughter.

**There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised, and he was baring his teeth at Fudge.**

"**Certainly, I believe Harry," said Dumbledore. His eyes were blazing now. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."**

**Fudge still had that strange smile on his face. Once again, he glanced at Harry before answering.**

"**You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who … well …"**

**Fudge shot Harry another look, and Harry suddenly understood.**

"**You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," he said quietly.**

There was a groan from several people.

"That bloody bitch!" Ron growl was luckily (for him) undistinguishable for him mother to hear as more things were said about Skeeter. Not to mention Molly was muttering her indignation about that woman and her stupid article.

**Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill all jumped. None of them had realized that Harry was awake.**

**Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look came over his face.**

"**And if I have?" he said, looking at Dumbledore. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place -"**

Harry gritted his teeth, he hated that with a few words people's belief in him would turn so easily. The boy-who-lived was their hero, but the boy would spoke to snakes was evil and not to be trusted.

"**I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" said Dumbledore coolly.**

"**You admit that he has been having these pains, then?" said Fudge quickly. "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly – hallucinations?"**

Sirius growled at Fudge's slander of his godson.

"**Listen to me, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge, and once again, he seemed to radiate that indefinable sense of power that Harry had felt after Dumbledore had Stunned young Crouch. "Harry is as sane as you or I. **

"Well that's not really proving anything … those two are a bit mad aren't they," Fred said trying to lighten the mood but like usually he most ignored him.

**That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."**

"**Don't tell him that Dumbledore … that jackarse doesn't deserve to know anything about Harry," Sirius growled. **

"Obviously Dumbledore is trying to get Fudge to believe him," Remus said.

Sirius snorted, he was pretty sure that Fudge wasn't going to listen to reason and telling him important information wasn't going to help the situation**. **

**Fudge had taken half a step back from Dumbledore, but he looked no less stubborn.**

"**You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before …"**

"**Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy -"**

"You shouldn't have said that," Remus said.

"But it's true!" Harry snapped at him.

"Perhaps, but Malfoy is close to Fudge, has been for years. It's yet another thing that Fudge wouldn't want to believe is true … which will only make it harder for him to listen to reason."

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Sirius said glaring at Remus as Harry bowed his head. "I think Fudge is a lost cause no matter what you said to him."

**Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge.**

"**Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, visibly affronted. "A very old family – donations to excellent causes –"**

"So of course they couldn't possibly be guilty," Arthur grumbled. "That money couldn't possibly be a bribe or anything like that."

"**Macnair!" Harry continued.**

"**Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"**

"Yes, and no one at the Ministry could possibly be evil," Sirius said, rolling his eyes, "didn't learn much from the Rookwood incident, did he?"

"**Avery - Nott - Crabbe - Goyle -"**

"**You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" said Fudge angrily. **

"It seems like you're poking more and more at his precious Ministry and it's inadequacy," Sirius said. "After all it was them that hadn't done their jobs and let those bloody Death Eaters back on the street."

**"You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heavens sake, Dumbledore – the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too – his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them – **

"They're not tells!" Harry growled, hating be called a liar. "It's the truth."

**the boy can talk to snakes. Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"**

"**You fool!" Professor McGonagall cried. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"**

"You tell him, McGonagall!" the twins cheered, laughing at the fact that she had called the Minister a fool.

"**I see no evidence to the contrary!" shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"**

"Well he is right about that," Tonks said.

"We're not trying to start …" Harry started.

"No, I mean about the panic. Knowing Voldemort is back will make people panic," Tonks said.

"So you don't think they should know the truth?" Remus asked her.

"Of course not. Everyone should be told what happened … or at least that Voldemort is back," Tonks said. "Panic or not, it's better to know the truth and prepare for it."

**Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had always thought of Fudge as a kindly figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured. But now a short, angry wizard stood before him, refusing, point-blank, to accept the prospect of disruption in his comfortable and ordered world – to believe that Voldemort could have risen.**

"A true judge of a man is not how he acts when there is peace but what he does when there is conflict," Teddy said.

"You sound like a fortune cookie … you know one of the ones that don't actually tell a fortune but give an old proverb," Juliet said.

"That's what I was going for," Teddy smiled at her, though it didn't reach his eyes. He was finding it harder not to snap out his own frustration at Fudge's actions, and if he hadn't already known something like this was going to happen he would have.

"**Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore repeated. "If you accept that fact straightaway Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. **

"That seems a bit optimistic," Bill said, "I don't think there is saving this situation."

"Maybe not, but there are things that could be done before Voldemort gets too much control …" Tonks started.

"I think that's optimistic too," Bill interrupted. "Unless you stop some things, and change his plans by working against him, but Voldemort got supporters, caused damage and ruined lives when he was in the open last time. I can't see anything changing."

"You don't have to be so … logical about it," Tonks glared at him. He shrugged.

**The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors -"**

"**Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"**

"**The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" said Dumbledore. **

"I didn't even think of that," Molly said paling, she hated those things as much as anyone but didn't really spend much time thinking about them. Dumbledore was right of course, they would turn to You-Know-Who easily.

**"They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"**

**Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage.**

"**The second step you must take – and at once," Dumbledore pressed on, "is to send envoys to the giants."**

"**Envoys to the giants?" Fudge shrieked, finding his tongue again. "What madness is this?"**

"Seriously Dumbledore, what madness is this," Remus grimaced, as sensible as it seem to try to speak to the giants, telling Fudge this wasn't smart. Remus had meet Fudge a few times, he could tell, though the man tried to hide it, he was not comfortable talking to 'human creatures'. Dumbledore should know better than to broach that subject with Fudge, especially at the present moment.

"**Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," said Dumbledore, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"**

"Voldemort was always clever, using that line of reasoning with creatures," Sirius said. "You'd think they'd realize that he is working for purebloods and therefore would turn on them as soon as he gains control. Especially since most of the people that are oppressing them now are the same ones that would stay in control afterwards."

"**You – you cannot be serious!" Fudge gasped, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants – people hate them, Dumbledore – end of my career -"**

"His career," Hermione hissed, appalled. "Is that all he cares about. Not the safety of his people, but his career."

"He's a bloody idiot," Ron said to him.

"**You are blinded," said Dumbledore, his voice rising now, the aura of power around him palpable, his eyes blazing once more, "by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any – and see what that** **man chose to make of his life! I tell you now – take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act – and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"**

"He's not wrong about that," Teddy muttered bitterly.

"What?" Remus questioned. "What happened?"

"Er … I didn't mean for you to hear that …" the boy blushed.

"But I did … so what happened?" Remus asked again.

"I'm sure you can guess," Teddy said. "His actions from here on out are not viewed too well in my time."

"**Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad …"**

**And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of Harry's bed, her hands over her mouth, was still standing over Harry, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, Ron, and Hermione were staring at Fudge.**

"**If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I – I shall act as I see fit."**

**Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore were advancing upon him with a wand.**

"**Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said, waving a threatening finger. "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. **

"What is he talking about, the Ministry doesn't have any control over Hogwarts. Not who they hire, keep on the staff or teach," Percy said indignantly, which had Teddy pressing his lips together so he would smile at the irony of him, of all people, being the one to say that.

**But if you're going to work against me -"**

"**The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."**

**It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be …"**

**Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.**

"**There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff s too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had** **returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."**

**Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."**

"He can't have any effect on the running of the school," Percy said again.

"Fudge has a lot of power," Arthur sighed. "If he puts effort into it, he could cause a lot of trouble, wither it's right or wrong."

Percy nodded with a grimace. He was well aware of what power could do, as he was trying to gain some of his own, despite the fact that he was part of an old wizarding family, the Weasleys didn't have much in the way of power. Not the kind that moved you up the latter in the Ministry anyways. That's why he worked twice as hard as anyone at his job. He understood that influence can help you get around rules, but had always liked rules and didn't like those that get around it.

**He had almost reached the door when he paused. He turned around, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Harry's bed.**

"**Your winnings," he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Harrys bedside table. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances …"**

Harry didn't like what was going on, didn't want the galleons, but he couldn't help but be glad that there wouldn't be any kind of ceremony. That was the last thing he wanted after everything that happened.

**He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The moment he had disappeared, Dumbledore turned to look at the group around Harry's bed.**

"**There is work to be done," he said. "Molly … am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"**

"Of course," both Arthur and Molly said.

"**Of course you can," said Mrs. Weasley. She was white to the lips, but she looked resolute. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."**

Percy grimaced again, he had seen that for himself as this year as he worked. Though most people liked his dad, he had heard rumors of his odd behavior … his fondness of muggle things. Whisper in the office about whether he would be the same.

"**Then I need to send a message to Arthur," said Dumbledore. "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."**

"That's great, you would know the best people to approach about this," Tonks said brightly. "Kingsley always is telling me that you have a good judge of character."

"That's good to know," Arthur said, "I was thinking Kingsley would be a good person to approach."

"**I'll go to Dad," said Bill, standing up. "I'll go now."**

"Ah, so that's why Bill was there," Fred nodded his head. "You were there so you could give this message."

"Yes, I'm sure that's why I am there," Bill rolled his eyes.

"**Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry -"**

"This will be difficult," Arthur frowned, "Fudge will probably reason fairly quickly where my loyalty lie."

"Yes, but all you'll need to do is get one person to join Dumbledore," Tonks said. "That person could go on from there. You should make sure its someone that Fudge wouldn't suspect."

"I already told you, I was thinking Kingsley would be a good person to approach, and I doubt Fudge would suspect him," Arthur said.

"That's a good point," Tonks said. "His reassuring presence has that effect on people."

"**Leave it to me," said Bill.**

**He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, kissed his mother on the cheek, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room.**

"**Minerva," said Dumbledore, turning to Professor McGonagall, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also – if she will consent to come – Madame Maxime."**

"Gee, I wonder why he would want to meet with the two half-giants that he knows," George said with a thoughtful look.

"No idea," Fred answered. "It's a big mystery."

**Professor McGonagall nodded and left without a word.**

"**Poppy," Dumbledore said to Madam Pomfrey, "would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moodys office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."**

"Oh, I wonder why he's asking her to leave …" Fred said in the some tone his twin had just used before.

"Enough boys," Molly glared at them. They grinned at her in return.

"**Very - very well," said Madam Pomfrey, looking startled, and she too left.**

**Dumbledore made sure that the door was closed, and that Madam Pomfrey's footsteps had died away, before he spoke again.**

"**And now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius … if you could resume your usual form."**

**The great black dog looked up at Dumbledore, then, in an instant, turned back into a man.**

**Mrs. Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed.**

"**Sirius Black!" she shrieked, pointing at him.**

"Well at least that was better than you pointing your wand at me!" Sirius grinned at her.

Molly blush, but she had been afraid for her family's safety at the time. She was probably afraid of the same thing now, but having Dumbledore in the room probably made her feel better about their safety.

"**Mum, shut up!" Ron yelled. "It's okay!"**

"Aw, such an elegant way of telling her, as always," Ginny teased her brother as he rolled her eyes at her.

"It's not like I have time to explain now," Ron grumbled.

**Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on his face was one of mingled fury and horror.**

"**Him!" he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike. "What is he doing here?"**

"**He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore, looking between them, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."**

Sirius snorted at that. _As if that would ever happen. _

**Harry thought Dumbledore was asking for a near miracle. **

"Exactly," Sirius agreed with that thought.

**Sirius and Snape were eyeing each other with the utmost loathing.**

"**I will settle, in the short term," said Dumbledore, with a bite of impatience in his voice, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any us."**

"He does have a point, Sirius," Arthur told him. "We do need to stand together …"

"I'm not convinced that Snape is on our side," Sirius snapped.

"But Dumbledore is," Remus said. "We have to trust his judgment."

**Very slowly – but still glaring at each other as though each wished the other nothing but ill – Sirius and Snape moved toward each other and shook hands. They let go extremely quickly.**

"**That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher – the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."**

"It would make a big scene if I contact any of those people," Sirius said.

"Yes, I'm sure I'm going to go screaming my head off if you show up on my door step," Remus said.

"Yes, telling me I'm a fool to come back to England where I might be found," Sirius said.

"**But -" said Harry.**

**He wanted Sirius to stay. He did not want to have to say goodbye again so quickly.**

"**You'll see me very soon. Harry," said Sirius, turning to him. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"**

"**Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah … of course I do."**

"Doesn't mean I want you to leave," Harry said softly.

"I know," Sirius sighed, "I don't want to leave either."

"I know," Harry repeated what he said.

**Sirius grasped his hand briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the room to the door, whose handle he turned with a paw. Then he was gone.**

"**Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready … if you are prepared …"**

"What does he have to do?" Bill asked but no one answered, though they looked thoughtful.

"**I am," said Snape.**

**He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.**

"Whatever it is, he has Snape rather scared, and I could only guess that means it will be highly dangerous," Remus said. "I'd guess it has something to do with Voldemort."

"**Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.**

**It was several minutes before Dumbledore spoke again.**

"**I must go downstairs," he said finally. "I must see the Diggorys. Harry – take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."**

**Harry slumped back against his pillows as Dumbledore disappeared. Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley were all looking at him. None of them spoke for a very long time.**

"**You've got to take the rest of your potion Harry," Mrs. Weasley said at last. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on his bedside cabinet as she reached for the bottle and the goblet. "You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while … think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"**

"**I don't want that gold," said Harry in an expressionless voice. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's."**

The Weasleys all grimaced at this, they never liked being offered money or charity of any kind, but they did understand that Harry wouldn't want this money after what happened.

**The thing against which he had been fighting on and off ever since he had come out of the maze was threatening to overpower him. He could feel a burning, prickling feeling in the inner corners of his eyes. He blinked and stared up at the ceiling.**

"**It wasn't your fault. Harry," Mrs. Weasley whispered.**

"**I told him to take the cup with me," said Harry.**

"That doesn't make this your fault," Molly said.

"You had no control over what happened," Sirius added.

**Now the burning feeling was in his throat too. He wished Ron would look away. Mrs. Weasley set the potion down on the bedside cabinet, bent down, and put her arms around Harry. He had no memory of ever being hugged like this, as though by a mother. **

Molly's eyes misted up as she looked at the boy, feeling touched that he felt that way. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure she would be there for him.

**The full weight of everything he had seen that night seemed to fall in upon him as Mrs. Weasley held him to her. His mother s face, his father's voice, the sight of Cedric, dead on the ground all started spinning in his head until he could hardly bear it, until he was screwing up his face against the howl of misery fighting to get out of him.**

**There was a loud slamming noise, and Mrs. Weasley and Harry broke apart. Hermione was standing by the window. She was holding something tight in her hand.**

"What are you doing?" Ron asked her suspiciously.

"I don't know," Hermione looked just as confused.

"**Sorry," she whispered.**

"**Your potion, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley quickly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.**

**Harry drank it in one gulp. The effect was instantaneous. Heavy, irresistible waves of dreamless sleep broke over him; he fell back onto his pillows and thought no more.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Teddy said handing the book to Remus.


	39. The Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to Trilonias, who is my beta for this story.**

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The Beginning

Remus took the book and grimaced as he thought about what had just happened. Fighting a war against Voldemort was going to be difficult enough, but to have the Ministry working against them too was only going to make it worse.

"We'll think of something," Tonks said to him reassuringly, seeming to read his mind.

"Yes, of course," Remus gave her a sad smile and then started reading, **"The Beginning." **

"And here I thought it was the end," Fred said with a sigh. "At least, I'm wrong again."

**When he looked back, even a month later, Harry found he had only scattered memories of the next few days. **

"So we skipped to a month from now?" Ron frowned. "Wouldn't that mean you were back with the Dursleys."

"It doesn't seem like he is," Remus said looking at the page he was reading, "I supposed that was it just informing us that Harry wasn't paying attention very much during this time period."

**It was as though he had been through too much to take in any more. The recollections he did have were very painful. The worst, perhaps, was the meeting with the Diggorys that took place the following morning.**

Harry shuddered at just the idea of being faced with Cedric's parents. After everything he had cost them, they would hate him for sure.

"It's not your fault," he heard the whisper remark from Sirius, Ron and Hermione. He nodded at them but he wasn't sure he was ever going to fully believe that. Of course, he was going to make sure it never really happened, but in the case of the book, if not for him, Cedric would be alive.

**They did not blame him for what had happened; on the contrary, both thanked him for returning Cedric's body to them. Mr. Diggory sobbed through most of the interview. Mrs. Diggory's grief seemed to be beyond tears.**

Molly whimpered at the description of the Diggory's, quite easily being able to imagine herself in their shoes. She had such a large family, and they were going to be involved in the war. No matter how much she would want them to stay out of it, she knew they wouldn't. It didn't mean she wouldn't still try her hardest … she would not suffer the pain of losing a child if she had anything to say for it. Arthur wrapped his arms around his wife, his mind thinking similar thoughts, but he looked at his children and saw all staring back at him defiantly as if he had already told them that they couldn't fight. His heart swelled with pride and sorrow in equal measure.

The Grangers had a similar reaction as they looked at their only daughter. Duncan felt a sudden need to take Hermione away from this world, as it seemed like it was no longer a safe place for anyone to be in. He knew, however, that Hermione wouldn't leave, not without him forcing her to, which he felt was appalling. That wasn't only reasons why he didn't voice his desire (and fears). Hearing this book had given him a much more comprehensive understanding of the world his daughter now belongs to, has always belong to but though they only found out about it three (and in the book four) years ago. Right now, looking at the dark side of the world it was easy to be afraid, especially since Hermione seemed right in the thick of the turmoil. However, he had also seen the good aspect of the world, he has seen how much his daughter has grown and become a lot more comfortable with who she was. He wasn't sure if she would ever have found that in the muggle world.

"**He suffered very little then," she said, when Harry had told her how Cedric had died. "And after all, Amos … he died just when he'd won the tournament. He must have been happy."**

Molly couldn't see how that fact could make what happened any better, but she supposed in the future it might be.

**When they got to their feet, she looked down at Harry and said, "You look after yourself, now."**

**Harry seized the sack of gold on the bedside table.**

"**You take this," he muttered to her. "It should've been Cedric's, he got there first, you take it -"**

"They're not going to want that any more than you do," Sirius said sadly.

**But she backed away from him.**

"**Oh no, it's yours, dear, I couldn't … you keep it."**

**Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower the following evening. From what Hermione and Ron told him, Dumbledore had spoken to the school that morning at breakfast. He had merely requested that they leave Harry alone, that nobody ask him questions or badger him to tell the story of what had happened in the maze. Most people, he noticed, were skirting him in the corridors, avoiding his eyes. Some whispered behind their hands as he passed. **

Harry sighed, just what he wanted more attention and whispered conversations about him.

**He guessed that many of them had believed Rita Skeeter's article about how disturbed and possibly dangerous he was. Perhaps they were formulating their own theories about how Cedric had died. He found he didn't care very much. He liked it best when he was with Ron and Hermione and they were talking about other things, or else letting him sit in silence while they played chess. **

"Thanks guys," Harry said to his best friends, who always seem to know just what he needs.

**He felt as though all three of them had reached an understanding they didn't need to put into words; that each was waiting for some sign, some word, of what was going on outside Hogwarts – and that it was useless to speculate about what might be coming until they knew anything for certain. **

"Nah, I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything because I don't want to talk about this," Ron said.

"That too," Harry said slightly amused.

**The only time they touched upon the subject was when Ron told Harry about a meeting Mrs. Weasley had had with Dumbledore before going home.**

"**She went to ask him if you could come straight to us this summer," he said.**

Harry sat up straighter hoping that he could stay with the Weasleys right away, and not have to see the Dursleys at all. The Dursleys were bad enough on their own, but given everything that happened staying at that house to be a cruel and unusual punishment.

**"But he wants you to go back to the Dursleys, at least at first."**

"Of course," Harry sighed, sitting back in his seat with a grimace.

Sirius watched Harry's reaction closely and was disturbed by how much it was like his own when he was force to go home every year after Hogwarts. Surely the Dursleys weren't as bad as his parents. Okay, so they sort of starved him this year … and yelled at them for that letter … and hadn't Harry said that they would rather suffer than let Harry have a good time?

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked looking at Sirius with concern.

"Yes, there is," Sirius said but he didn't farther explain his answer.

"**Why?" said Harry.**

"**She said Dumbledore's got his reasons," said Ron, shaking his head darkly. "I suppose we've got to trust him, haven't we?"**

"I suppose," Sirius muttered, but if the Dursleys were anything like his parents he wasn't sure if they should listen to Dumbledore no matter what his reasons might be. It wasn't healthy for Harry to go back to people that loath him.

**The only person apart from Ron and Hermione that Harry felt able to talk to was Hagrid. **

"You're really that close to Hagrid?" Percy questioned.

"Well yeah, I mean … he sort of was my first friend," Harry said.

**As there was no longer a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, they had those lessons free. They used the one on Thursday afternoon to go down and visit Hagrid in his cabin. It was a bright and sunny day; Fang bounded out of the open door as they approached, barking and wagging his tail madly.**

"**Who's that?" called Hagrid, coming to the door. "Harry!"**

**He strode out to meet them, pulled Harry into a one-armed hug, ruffled his hair, and said, "Good ter see yeh, mate. Good ter see yeh."**

**They saw two bucket-size cups and saucers on the wooden table in front of the fireplace when they entered Hagrid's cabin.**

"**Bin havin' a cuppa with Olympe," Hagrid said. "She's jus' left."**

"**Who?" said Ron curiously.**

"**Madame Maxime, o' course!" said Hagrid.**

"So I guess they made up," Ron said. "Funny how she would do that now …"

"She was mentioned being upset the last time we read about her and Hagrid was looking at her a lot," Hermione said. "I think they might have made up before … everything happened."

"**You two made up, have you?" said Ron.**

"**Dunno what yeh're talkin' about," said Hagrid airily, fetching more cups from the dresser. **

"He's horrible at avoiding things," Sirius said as several people smiled (and others rolled their eyes) at Hagrid's denial.

**When he had made tea and offered around a plate of doughy cookies, he leaned back in his chair and surveyed Harry closely through his beetle-black eyes.**

"**You all righ'?" he said gruffly**

"**Yeah," said Harry.**

"**No, yeh're not," said Hagrid. "Course yeh're not. But yeh will be."**

**Harry said nothing.**

"**Knew he was goin' ter come back," said Hagrid, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up at him, shocked. "Known it fer years Harry. Knew he was out there, bidin' his time. It had ter happen. Well, now it has, an' we'll jus' have ter get on with it. We'll fight. Migh' be able ter stop him before he gets a good hold. That's Dumbledores plan, anyway. Great man, Dumbledore. 'S long as we've got him, I'm not too worried."**

**Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows at the disbelieving expressions on their faces.**

"**No good sittin' worryin' abou' it," he said. "What's comin' will come, an we'll meet it when it does. **

Harry smiled, Hagrid's words seemed to make him feel slightly better. Just thinking of it that way, he too had known that Voldemort was going to come back at some point and maybe they shouldn't worry about the hows and whys and just think about the fight.

**Dumbledore told me wha' you did. Harry."**

**Hagrid's chest swelled as he looked at Harry.**

"**Yeh did as much as yer father would've done, an' I can' give yeh no higher praise than that."**

"He's right Harry," Sirius said.

"I couldn't agree more," Remus added smiling.

**Harry smiled back at him. It was the first time he'd smiled in days. "What's Dumbledore asked you to do, Hagrid?" he asked. "He sent Professor McGonagall to ask you and Madame Maxime to meet him – that night."**

"First of all Harry, I'd think it's obvious what Dumbledore asked him to do," Tonks said.

"And second?" Harry questioned, feeling his face grow warm, it was pretty obvious after all.

"Never take the direct approach with Hagrid when it's something Dumbledore asked him to do," Tonks said. "He's very loyal after all."

"**Got a little job fer me over the summer," said Hagrid. "Secret, though. I'm not s'pposed ter talk abou' it, no, not even ter you lot. Olympe – Madame Maxime ter you – might be comin' with me. I think she will. Think I got her persuaded."**

"**Is it to do with Voldemort?"**

**Hagrid flinched at the sound of the name.**

"**Migh' be," he said evasively. **

"Yeah, that was very evasive," Fred said sarcastically.

**"Now … who'd like ter come an' visit the las' skrewt with me? I was jokin' - jokin'!" he added hastily, seeing the looks on their faces.**

"That was a good one," George chuckled.

**It was with a heavy heart that Harry packed his trunk up in the dormitory on the night before his return to Privet Drive. **

"You know Harry we have some heart lightening potions, maybe you'd like some," Fred said to him seriously and Harry rolled his eyes at him.

**He was dreading the Leaving Feast, which was usually a cause for celebration, when the winner of the Inter-House Championship would be announced. He had avoided being in the Great Hall when it was full ever since he had left the hospital wing, preferring to eat when it was nearly empty to avoid the stares of his fellow students.**

"I wonder how Hannah … er … and Ernie and all those guys are dealing with what happened," Neville asked blushing slightly.

"I can image that this is hard on all of them," Tonks said, who was rather upset about this herself and she hadn't even had the chance to meet him.

**When he, Ron, and Hermione entered the Hall, they saw at once that the usual decorations were missing. The Great Hall was normally decorated with the winning House's colors for the Leaving Feast. Tonight, however, there were black drapes on the wall behind the teachers' table. Harry knew instantly that they were there as a mark of respect to Cedric.**

Everyone in the room reacted to this description, even Duncan and Juliet who even been to Hogwarts.

"I don't think I ever seen black drapes hung like that," Sirius said what many were thinking. "And we were at Hogwarts when Voldemort was in powered the last time."

"No student died while in Hogwarts when we at school," Remus pointed out gravely.

Sirius nodded his head, but this piece of information didn't make him feel better. It seemed to imply that things were only going to be worst this time.

**The real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now, his wooden leg and his magical eye back in place. He was extremely twitchy, jumping every time someone spoke to him. Harry couldn't blame him; Moody's fear of attack was bound to have been increased by his ten-month imprisonment in his own trunk. **

"No doubt, even if it's hard to believe they could be increased," Tonks said.

**Professor Karkaroff s chair was empty. Harry wondered, as he sat down with the other Gryffindors, where Karkaroff was now, and whether Voldemort had caught up with him.**

**Madame Maxime was still there. She was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together. Further along the table, sitting next to Professor McGonagall, was Snape. His eyes lingered on Harry for a moment as Harry looked at him. His expression was difficult to read. He looked as sour and unpleasant as ever. Harry continued to watch him, long after Snape had looked away.**

**What was it that Snape had done on Dumbledores orders, the night that Voldemort had returned? And why … why … was Dumbledore so convinced that Snape was truly on their side? **

"I don't think you're going to learn that," Arthur said. "Dumbledore isn't likely to share that information."

"Harry is right, it would be better if we knew why Snape is suddenly on our side," Sirius said bitterly.

"And what reason would be good enough for you to believe that he is on our side?" Tonks asked Sirius slyly.

Sirius grinned at her, "probably nothing. I don't think I'll ever trust him."

"Even though you know that Dumbledore must," Remus asked, "you trust his judgment right?"

Sirius expression clearly showed that he didn't trust this particular judgment of Dumbledore's. "Even Dumbledore can be wrong."

"I know that," Remus said.

"Really?" Sirius raised his eyebrow. "Sometime it seems that you think he can do no wrong."

"I trust Dumbledore," Remus said, his tone slightly annoyed. "I don't trust him blindly as you seem to think I do. I just think it's reasonable to believe that Snape wouldn't want others to know why he changed sides. It must be a personal reason and Snape hardly like his personal life being known. Dumbledore would honor Snape's wishes in that matter."

"Even though he knows it makes the rest of us uneasy," Sirius grumbled, though it wasn't a question or argument, he knew that Dumbledore would that.

**He had been their spy, Dumbledore had said so in the Pensieve. Snape had turned spy against Voldemort, "at great personal risk." Was that the job he had taken up again? **

"I would think that's exactly what he did," Percy said.

"The fact that he is still alive suggest that you're wrong," Draco said, drawing attention to himself for the first time for many chapters. "I doubt the Dark Lord would trust someone that has been close to Dumbledore for so long. Not to mention he ignore the summoning."

"Oh, I wouldn't underestimate Snape's ability to lie," Sirius said.

"Now you're defending Snape?" Fred said.

"Why won't you make up your mind," George added.

"I'm not defending him, I'm just saying that he's capable of fooling a person," Sirius said.

"And when he says that, he's thinking of Dumbledore not Voldemort," Tonks said.

"Maybe," Sirius shrugged as Remus rolled his eyes.

**Had he made contact with the Death Eaters, perhaps? Pretended that he had never really gone over to Dumbledore, that he had been, like Voldemort himself, biding his time?**

**Harry's musings were ended by Professor Dumbledore, who stood up at the staff table. The Great Hall, which in any case had been less noisy than it usually was at the Leaving Feast, became very quiet.**

"**The end," said Dumbledore, looking around at them all, "of another year."**

**He paused, and his eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table. Theirs had been the most subdued table before he had gotten to his feet, and theirs were still the saddest and palest faces in the Hall.**

"**There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," said Dumbledore, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."**

"Should we do that?" Molly asked.

"It seems a ill omen to cheer someone that who hasn't died yet," Bill answered.

**They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory."**

**Harry caught a glimpse of Cho through the crowd. There were tears pouring silently down her face. He looked down at the table as they all sat down again.**

Harry grimaced at that, not liking that she was hurt. He had felt so jealousy of Cedric, but now he would rather feeling that than to have Cedric dead.

"**Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."**

**Harry raised his head and stared at Dumbledore.**

"**Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."**

"Oh dear … I'm not sure this is the best way of telling them!" Molly sighed. Thinking about how the student would react to such a public way of hearing this disturbing news.

"Why not?" Sirius looked at her oddly.

"I understand that, but it might have been better to tell them in a more personal setting," Molly said. "Can you imagine what it would be like to hear that You-Know-Who is back … and killing people … like that."

"It might be difficult," Sirius allowed.

"What I don't get is why Dumbledore said that You-Know-Who killed Cedric when it was Pettigrew that cursed him," Percy frowned.

"I'd image it was both easier and more essential to say that You-Know-Who killed Cedric," Bill answered. "Not many people would know who Pettigrew is, and You-Know-Who was the one that gave the order so he was in a way the one that did it."

"Perhaps," Percy said, thinking Dumbledore was manipulating the facts slightly to make his story more compelling.

**A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.**

"**The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so – either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. **

Molly couldn't help but think that was a reasonable thought. She wish she could shield her children from this truth …

**It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."**

"No one is actually saying that's how he did, are they?!" Tonks asked hotly, after Fudge's reaction she couldn't be sure. No one had answer to that.

**Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now … or almost every face. Over at the Slytherin table Harry saw Draco Malfoy muttering something to Crabbe and Goyle. Harry felt a hot, sick swoop of anger in his stomach. He forced himself to look back at Dumbledore.**

Draco shifted uncomfortably as several people glared at him.

"**There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedrics death," Dumbledore went on. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."**

"That makes it sound kind of ominous …" Ron mumbled.

**A kind of ripple crossed the Great Hall as a few heads turned in Harry's direction before flicking back to face Dumbledore.**

"**Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."**

It was Harry's turn to shift uncomfortably. He wasn't really one for public displays like this … or more like he didn't like public displays when he didn't feel like he earned them … not after everything that happened.

**Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet once more. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed suit. They murmured his name, as they had murmured Cedric's, and drank to him. But through a gap in the standing figures, Harry saw that Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and many of the other Slytherins had remained defiantly in their seats, their goblets untouched. **

Draco rolled his eyes, of course they weren't going to cheers Saint Potter, they hated him.

**Dumbledore, who after all possessed no magical eye, did not see them.**

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Sirius said. "Dumbledore sees a lot more than he lets on. Not everything, of course, not a display like that, I bet Dumbledore was expecting them to react like that."

**When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued, "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened – of Lord Voldemorts return – such ties are more important than ever before."**

**Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table. Krum, Harry saw, looked wary, almost frightened, as though he expected Dumbledore to say something harsh.**

"As if, Dumbledore trying to get their support not alienate them," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Well with Karkaroff as they're headmaster, it would make sense if he was suspicious," Sirius said.

"Do you really think that makes sense?" Remus asked his friend.

"No, but can understand why Krum would be uneasy," Sirius said. "There are a lot of people that would judge base on who your headmaster is, what family you come from and other such things. It's hard to get people to realize that the person can make their own decisions."

"So what about what house you come from, does that count as something you're talking about," Remus questioned, knowing that Sirius hated the Slytherin house … and was suspicious of anyone that was in the house.

Sirius glared at his friend, this was an issue the argued many times before. Remus couldn't understand how he could be open minded enough to expect a werewolf and other supposively dark aspect but hate the Slytherins without second thought. Maybe Remus had a point, but he still couldn't bring himself to be open minded on that issue. The Slytherin house just seem to represent everything he hated about his own family and that was something that was hard for him to overcome.

"**Every guest in this Hall," said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again – in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemorts gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.**

"Did Voldemort try to take over other countries?" Harry asked, wondering why Dumbledore was trying to appeal to the other schools.

"Not physically, but his reason for fighter are known everywhere," Remus answered. "He did get support from wizards and withes from other countries, some even had come over to fight for him. I have a feeling that he might have tried to expend to other countries if he had won."

"**It is my belief – and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken – that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.**

"**Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and** **kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."**

"And that's supposed to be an incentive to join Dumbledore's side?" Draco snorted. "They should remember that the Dark Lord kills anyone that stands against him."

"You in particular should remember that," Teddy said before anyone could shut at the blonde boy. "Voldemort has a pretty small threshold of what he thinks of as 'stands against him'. He kills his supports just as easily as his enemies."

"Only if they are incompetent," Draco said offhandedly.

"If you must believe that," Teddy shrugged.

"Plus not everyone is as big of a coward as you are," Ron snapped out hotly. "They know that doing the right thing is better than cowering away."

**Harry's trunk was packed; Hedwig was back in her cage on top of it. He, Ron, and Hermione were waiting in the crowded entrance hall with the rest of the fourth years for the carriages that would take them back to Hogsmeade station. It was another beautiful summer's day. He supposed that Privet Drive would be hot and leafy, its flower beds a riot of color, when he arrived there that evening. The thought gave him no pleasure at all.**

"'**Arry!"**

**He looked around. Fleur Delacour was hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Beyond her, far across the grounds Harry could see Hagrid helping Madame Maxime to back two of the giant horses into their harness. The Beauxbatons carriage was about to take off.**

"**We will see each uzzer again, I 'ope," said Fleur as she reached him, holding out her hand. "I am 'oping to get a job 'ere, to improve my Eenglish."**

"I wonder if she will be in any of the other books?" Bill mused out loud.

"Judging about how well Teddy seems to know her, I'd say that a possibility," Tonks said looking at the boy who mouth was thin in what she thought might have been silent laughter.

"**It's very good already," said Ron in a strangled sort of voice. Fleur smiled at him; Hermione scowled.**

"Jealous much," Fred teased the now red faced Hermione, who was glaring at him.

"I'm just trying to be polite, I'd thought you'd appreciate that," Ron said, his tone teasing as Hermione shifted her glare to him.

"**Good-bye, 'Arry," said Fleur, turning to go. "It 'az been a pleasure meeting you!"**

**Harrys spirits couldn't help but lift slightly as he watched Fleur hurry back across the lawns to Madame Maxime, her silvery hair rippling in the sunlight.**

"That must be because of her veela influence on you," Hermione grumbled under her breath, though her annoyance wasn't from Harry's reactions.

"I don't think so," Harry said, thinking about everything that happened this year that it would be more than that. They were champions together, and after what happened in the second task they have even more of a connection.

"**Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back," said Ron. "D' you reckon they can steer that ship without Karkaroff?"**

"**Karkaroff did not steer," said a gruff voice. "He stayed in his cabin and let us do the vork."**

"Of course he did," Sirius grumbled.

**Krum had come to say good-bye to Hermione. **

"Of course he did," Ron grumbled this time.

"Jealous much," Fred teased his brother.

**"Could I have a vord?" he asked her.**

"**Oh … yes … all right," said Hermione, looking slightly flustered, and following Krum through the crowd and out of sight.**

Duncan scowled, he wished that they didn't move away so he could hear what Krum had to say. Actually he wish he didn't have to hear about his daughter romantic encounters at all. Even if this one didn't sound so bad … except for the fact that the boy was three years older and he didn't know if there was any alone time that Harry didn't notice … no he didn't want to hear about his daughter's romantic life at all!

"**You'd better hurry up!" Ron called loudly after her. "The carriages'll be here in a minute!"**

Duncan's scowl deepened, these kinds of reaction worried him more than Krum at the moment.

**He let Harry keep a watch for the carriages, **

"Thanks, I'm so glad you let me do that," Harry said smirking as Ron glared at him.

"Shut up, Harry!"

**however, and spent the next few minutes craning his neck over the crowd to try and see what Krum and Hermione might be up to. They returned quite soon. Ron stared at Hermione, but her face was quite impassive.**

Ron frowned, _why could she show some kind of emotion so I know what she's thinking?!_

"**I liked Diggory," said Krum abruptly to Harry. "He vos alvays polite to me. Alvays. Even though I vos from Durmstrang – with Karkaroff," he added, scowling.**

"**Have you got a new headmaster yet?" said Harry.**

**Krum shrugged. He held out his hand as Fleur had done, shook Harry's hand, and then Ron's. Ron looked as though he was suffering some sort of painful internal struggle. Krum had already started walking away when Ron burst out, "Can I have your autograph?"**

This caused most of the people in the room to laugh.

Ron wasn't one of them as he realized that he wasn't sure if he wanted an autograph from Krum or not.

**Hermione turned away, smiling at the horseless carriages that were now trundling toward them up the drive, as Krum, looking surprised but gratified, signed a fragment of parchment for Ron.**

"**Aw Ronniekins, it looks like she doesn't like it when you're a jealous git, maybe you should tone that down next time," George said.**

"Will you all shut up already!" Ron growled, his sibling seemed to be laughing at him for the last ten minutes. He couldn't even look at Hermione, why did Harry have to notice all this crap.

**The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King's Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had managed to get a compartment to themselves. Pigwidgeon was once again hidden under Ron's dress robes to stop him from hooting continually; Hedwig was dozing, her head under her wing, and Crookshanks was curled up in a spare seat like a large, furry ginger cushion. Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked more fully and freely than they had all week as the train sped them southward. Harry felt as though Dumbledore's speech at the Leaving Feast had unblocked him, somehow. It was less painful to discuss what had happened now. They broke off their conversation about what action Dumbledore might be taking, even now, to stop Voldemort only when the lunch trolley arrived.**

**When Hermione returned from the trolley and put her money back into her schoolbag, she dislodged a copy of the Daily Prophet that she had been carrying in there. Harry looked at it, unsure whether he really wanted to know what it might say, but Hermione, seeing him looking at it, said calmly, "There's nothing in there. You can look for yourself, but there's nothing at all. I've been checking every day. Just a small piece the day after the third task saying you won the tournament. They didn't even mention Cedric. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me Fudge is forcing them to keep quiet."**

"They didn't mention his death at all!" Tonks gasped, "that horrible. That's even worse than saying it was an accident! It's like they're denying anything bad happened. Like since they don't like it, it must not have occurred …"

"Yes, I think that's from Fudge's reactions, that's probably what they want," Remus said, agreeing with her in a soothing voice.

She wasn't soothed by his words at all, but she realized shouting about it wasn't going to help.

"**He'll never keep Rita quiet," said Harry. "Not on a story like this."**

"**Oh, Rita hasn't written anything at all since the third task," said Hermione in an oddly constrained voice. "As a matter of fact," she added, her voice now trembling slightly, "Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on her."**

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, looking at her as he ignoring his previous embarrassment.

"I don't know," Hermione said, looking eager to find out what it was, especially as she seemed to be so confident.

"**What are you talking about?" said Ron.**

"**I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be coming onto the grounds," said Hermione in a rush.**

**Harry had the impression that Hermione had been dying to tell them this for days, but that she had restrained herself in light of everything else that had happened.**

"I'm surprise you could manage doing that," Ron mumbled earning a glare from his friend and he smirked at her.

"You are such a git," Hermione said trying to keep glaring at him, but she couldn't manage it.

"**How was she doing it?" said Harry at once.**

"**How did you find out?" said Ron, staring at her.**

"**Well, it was you, really, who gave me the idea Harry," she said.**

"**Did I?" said Harry, perplexed. "How?"**

"**Bugging," said Hermione happily.**

Hermione nodded her head, she figured that was the clue but what …

"**But you said they didn't work -"**

"**Oh not electronic bugs," said Hermione. "No, you see … Rita Skeeter" -**

**Hermione's voice trembled with quiet triumph – "is an unregistered Animagus. **

"Oh!" Sirius groaned hitting his head, "of course … I should have realized …" as being an unregistered Animagus himself, it should have been obvious …

"Why, it's not like being an Animagus is something you can know about a person," Bill said reasonably.

"Maybe not, but I should have thought it was possible," Sirius said. "I know how easy it is to overhear people when you're an animal. Granted I'm a dog and I can go around unnoticed but people enjoy playing with a dog and having conversation at the same time."

"How did you figure out she was an Animagus?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Bugging I'm guessing," Hermione said slightly annoyed as she couldn't answer the question as fully as she usually did because she didn't know.

**She can turn –" Hermione pulled a small sealed glass jar out other bag. "– into a beetle."**

"Hold on a second! You're keeping Skeeter in a jar!" Ginny said laughing.

"Brilliant!" Ron laughed too along with several people in the room.

Hermione had been pleased with this reaction until she noticed that her parents seemed to find this piece of information alarming. She thought she could see disapproval in their expression, something she wasn't used to seeing in them.

"**You're kidding," said Ron. "You haven't … she's not …"**

"**Oh yes she is," said Hermione happily, brandishing the jar at them.**

**Inside were a few twigs and leaves and one large, fat beetle.**

"**That's never – you're kidding -" Ron whispered, lifting the jar to his eyes.**

"**No, I'm not," said Hermione, beaming. "I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing. Look very closely, and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears."**

**Harry looked and saw that she was quite right. He also remembered something.**

"**There was a beetle on the statue the night we heard Hagrid telling Madame Maxime about his mum!"**

"**Exactly," said Hermione. "And Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after we'd had our conversation by the lake. And unless I'm very much mistaken, Rita was perched on the windowsill of the Divination class the day your scar hurt. She's been buzzing around for stories all year."**

"**When we saw Malfoy under that tree …" said Ron slowly.**

"**He was talking to her, in his hand," said Hermione. "He knew, of course. **

"Of course he did," Ron glared at Draco. "Anything to cause us trouble."

"I'm surprise she would allow anyone to know she's an Animagus," Remus said. "Not when they could use that against her later on."

"I suppose she agrees not to do any kind of exposé against someone that knows what she is," Bill said reasonably. "Just use them as sources."

**That's how she's been getting all those nice little interviews with the Slytherins. They wouldn't care that she was doing something illegal, as long as they were giving her horrible stuff about us and Hagrid."**

**Hermione took the glass jar back from Ron and smiled at the beetle, which buzzed angrily against the glass.**

"**I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London," said Hermione. "I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people."**

"Why only a year … you can keep her from writing about us forever," Ron said.

"You're blackmailing her?" Duncan asked looking at Hermione unnerved.

"I …" Hermione started to say but found it hard to talk as she saw the look in her dad's eyes.

"She's trying to protect her friend," Ron said glaring at Duncan. "You've seen how much damage Skeeter has done to Harry this year. Not to mention it was her stupid article that made Fudge doubt Harry. If it wasn't for her we might not have to the Ministry against us."

"I can't deny that Skeeter has done many despicable things," Duncan said. "I rather detest fabricated stories, especially as she seems to try to pass them off as facts. I understand wanting to stop her, but I don't understand why you don't just turn her in to the authorities."

Hermione found that she couldn't raise her head upon hearing her father's words. She probably should have done so, and not just threated it.

"Skeeter heard the conversation with Fudge," Bill said looking thoughtfully, "or at least part of it because that was when Hermione caught the beetle. I can only imagine the damage that could be done if Skeeter wanted to write. Or if Hermione turns her in outright I can see Fudge letting her off so for her silence, or worse, so she could write worse articles about Harry."

Duncan frowned, it might have been more complicated than he had originally thought, but the idea of blackmailing someone still didn't sit well to him.

"That kind of makes it sound like Granger's threat is hollow," Draco said.

"The fear of imprisonment is a powerful thing," Sirius said knowingly. "I don't think Skeeter will test her."

**Smiling serenely, Hermione placed the beetle back inside her schoolbag.**

**The door of the compartment slid open.**

"**Very clever Granger," said Draco Malfoy.**

**Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind him. All three of them looked more pleased with themselves, more arrogant and more menacing, than Harry had ever seen them.**

"Why would you be pleased with yourself?" Ron asked. "You haven't done anything."

He didn't get an answer.

"**So," said Malfoy slowly, advancing slightly into the compartment and looking slowly around at them, a smirk quivering on his lips. "You caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter's Dumbledore's favorite boy again. Big deal."**

"What do you mean again? Potter was always Dumbledore's favorite boy!" George said.

**His smirk widened. Crabbe and Goyle leered.**

"**Trying not to think about it, are we?" said Malfoy softly, looking around at all three of them. "Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?"**

"**Get out," said Harry.**

**He had not been this close to Malfoy since he had watched him muttering to Crabbe and Goyle during Dumbledore's speech about Cedric. He could feel a kind of ringing in his ears. His hand gripped his wand under his robes.**

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The twins repeated until their mum shouted at them.

"**You've picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!" He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione. **

"**And that comment is just as useless now as it was then!" Harry snapped at Draco with a glare. "They are the best mates I could ask for."**

"Besides if he chose you as a friend you would have ditched him at the first sign of trouble," Hermione said. "Not to mention it wouldn't have stopped You-Know-Who from wanting him d- …" she trailed off and couldn't finish her sentence.

**"Too late now Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well – second – Diggory was the f-"**

"Why you little bastard!" Tonks hissed and might have gotten out of her seat if Remus didn't hold her back. "You find that funny! Talking about Cedric death … you … you …" she couldn't seem to think of what to say.

"Seriously Ted? Why did you bring this creep here?" Fred asked, looking loathingly at Draco.

Teddy didn't answer because he didn't know anymore. He never realized how much hate there was between Harry and Draco. He knew something was going to happen and had hoped that hearing everything that happened would make a difference, but the Draco in this room seemed reluctant to listen. Of course Harry had told him not to expect any changes until the end of the sixth book at the earliest.

**It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment. Blinded by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction, deafened by a series of bangs, Harry blinked and looked down at the floor.**

"It looks like you got that fight," Ginny said without any humor, she hoped the trio didn't get hurt … and really caused Malfoy and his cronies pain.

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all lying unconscious in the doorway. He, Ron, and Hermione were on their feet, all three of them having used a different hex. **

"Ha! It looks like you couldn't even get a curse off," George laughed.

"Hmph," Draco said trying not to show any emotions. He hadn't been so pleased about his own comment about Diggory, but he wasn't about to show that to these people. He also wasn't going to show how much he hated the fact that Potter usually got the better him in a fight.

**Nor were they the only ones to have done so.**

"**Thought we'd see what those three were up to," said Fred **

"Aw good, we're in on the fight too," Fred beamed.

**matter-of-factly, stepping onto Goyle and into the compartment. He had his wand out, and so did George, who was careful to tread on Malfoy as he followed Fred inside.**

"**Interesting effect," said George, looking down at Crabbe. "Who used the Furnunculus Curse?"**

"**Me," said Harry.**

"What is that your favor curse, you used that on Draco the last time you dueled too?" Ron asked.

"Well what's wrong with your enemy some nice boils," Harry shrugged.

"**Odd," said George lightly. "I used Jelly-Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn't be mixed. He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face. **

"Nice," Ron smirked as other chuckled.

**Well, let's not leave them here, they don't add much to the decor."**

**Ron, Harry, and George kicked, rolled, and pushed the unconscious Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle – each of whom looked distinctly the worse for the jumble of jinxes with which they had been hit **

"They must have been pretty bad curse to be able to make them look worse," Ginny said.

"Why didn't you just levitate them out of the room?" Hermione asked.

"And miss the chance to kick them?" Ron shook his head as if he couldn't believe what Hermione just asked.

**- out into the corridor, then came back into the compartment and rolled the door shut.**

"**Exploding Snap, anyone?" said Fred, pulling out a pack of cards.**

**They were halfway through their fifth game when Harry decided to ask them.**

"**You going to tell us, then?" he said to George. "Who you were blackmailing?"**

"Maybe that's not the best subject to bring up," Ron mumbled as all three Grangers stiffened.

"**Oh," said George darkly. "That."**

"**It doesn't matter," said Fred, shaking his head impatiently. "It wasn't anything important. Not now, anyway."**

"**We've given up," said George, shrugging.**

**But Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept on asking, and finally, Fred said, **

"Why the bloody hell do you three have to be so nosy?"

"We're just annoying like that," Harry shrugged.

**"All right, all right, if you really want to know … it was Ludo Bagman."**

"Bagman?" several people said as other looked like they already thought this was the likely person.

"**Bagman?" said Harry sharply. "Are you saying he was involved in -"**

"**Nah," said George gloomily. "Nothing like that. Stupid git. He wouldn't have the brains."**

"**Well, what, then?" said Ron.**

**Fred hesitated, then said, "You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup? About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch?"**

"**Yeah," said Harry and Ron slowly.**

"**Well, the git paid us in leprechaun gold he'd caught from the Irish mascots."**

"What?" Fred said. "We didn't get our money!"

"We lost our savings too!" George added. "That's going to set us back."

"How are we going to be able to produce anything without any capital?" Fred grimaced, it was hard enough already to get the materials they needed.

"You were selling some of your products after the first task," Remus said. "It sounds like you were able to produce something."

"True," George said but he still thought it would still put their plans back months maybe even years if they weren't able to produce things. Selling multiple joke products in their last few years at Hogwarts was important for their marketing skills as students would be a big portion of their future clients.

"**So?"**

"**So," said Fred impatiently, "it vanished, didn't it? By next morning, it had gone!"**

"**But – it must've been an accident, mustn't it?" said Hermione.**

**George laughed very bitterly.**

"**Yeah, that's what we thought, at first. We thought if we just wrote to him, and told him he'd made a mistake, he'd cough up. But nothing doing. Ignored our letter. We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us."**

"**In the end, he turned pretty nasty," said Fred. "Told us we were too young to gamble, and he wasn't giving us anything."**

"That's despicable … if he really believe that than he should never have taken their money in the first place," Juliet said.

"**So we asked for our money back," said George glowering.**

"**He didn't refuse!" gasped Hermione.**

"**Right in one," said Fred.**

"**But that was all your savings!" said Ron.**

"**Tell me about it," said George. "'Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well. Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts. **

"That's why he was in the woods that night looking like he had no idea what was going on," Hermione mumbled.

**They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He's lost everything gambling. Hasn't got two Galleons to rub together. And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back?"**

"**How?" said Harry.**

"**He put a bet on you, mate," said Fred. "Put a big bet on you to win the tournament. Bet against the goblins."**

"So that's why he kept trying to help me win," Harry said, glad to know why Bagman had acted that way, it never made sense to him before.

"**So that's why he kept trying to help me win!" said Harry. "Well – I did win, didn't I? So he can pay you your gold!"**

"**Nope," said George, shaking his head. "The goblins play as dirty as him. They say you drew with Diggory, and Bagman was betting you'd win outright. **

"That's complete bull sh …"

"Bill," Molly glared at her oldest son, he was supposed to set a good example for his younger siblings.

"Of course the goblins are going to say that but all Bagman has to do is argue back and stick to his grounds," Bill said ignoring his mum. "As long as he never said Harry had to win outright than any win would do."

**So Bagman had to run for it. He did run for it right after the third task."**

Bill shook his head, but he supposed someone who had already been hassled by the goblins once would rather run. Not that would do him any good, the goblins won't let him get away.

**George sighed deeply and started dealing out the cards again.**

**The rest of the journey passed pleasantly enough; Harry wished it could have gone on all summer, in fact, and that he would never arrive at King's Cross … but as he had learned the hard way that year, time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead, and all too soon, the Hogwarts Express was pulling in at platform nine and three-quarters. The usual confusion and noise filled the corridors as the students began to disembark. Ron and Hermione struggled out past Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, carrying their trunks. Harry, however, stayed put.**

"**Fred - George - wait a moment."**

**The twins turned. Harry pulled open his trunk and drew out his Triwizard winnings.**

"**Take it," he said, and he thrust the sack into George's hands.**

"Harry we're not going to take that," Fred said, just as stubborn as the rest of his family about taking money.

"Even though you know I won't keep it," Harry said.

"Yes," the twins answered.

"**What?" said Fred, looking flabbergasted.**

"**Take it," Harry repeated firmly. "I don't want it."**

"**You're mental," said George, trying to push it back at Harry.**

"**No, I'm not," said Harry. "You take it, and get inventing. It's for the joke shop."**

The twins exchanged a look, after hearing they had lost their savings (and never got all the extra money they would have got for winning the bet) it made them anxious about their plans. The thousand galleons would be all the more tempting in that state of mind.

"**He is mental," Fred said in an almost awed voice.**

"**Listen," said Harry firmly. "If you don't take it, I'm throwing it down the drain. I don't want it and I don't need it. But I could do with a few laughs. We could all do with a few laughs. I've got a feeling we're going to need them more than usual before long."**

"He has a good point," Sirius said.

"**Harry," said George weakly, weighing the money bag in his hands, "there's got to be a thousand Galleons in here."**

"**Yeah," said Harry, grinning. "Think how many Canary Creams that is."**

**The twins stared at him.**

"**Just don't tell your mum where you got it … **

Molly looked hurt and disappointed by hearing that.

**although she might not be so keen for you to join the Ministry anymore, come to think of it …"**

Now she looked thoughtful, this current Ministry wasn't so desirable it still had to be a more stable job.

"**Harry," Fred began, but Harry pulled out his wand.**

"**Look," he said flatly, "take it, or I'll hex you. I know some good ones now. Just do me one favor, okay? Buy Ron some different dress robes and say they're from you."**

Ron made a face at that.

"So you did take the money," Ginny said to them.

"It looks like it," Fred grimaced, that wasn't like them.

"Maybe we make Harry a silent partner?" George said. "Or an investor?"

"You gave him free products for life," Teddy said.

Fred and George looked slightly better, but were still uncomfortable about knowing that they had accepted money.

**He left the compartment before they could say another word, stepping over Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were still lying on the floor, covered in hex marks.**

**Uncle Vernon was waiting beyond the barrier. Mrs. Weasley was close by him. She hugged Harry very tightly when she saw him and whispered in his ear, "I think Dumbledore will let you come to us later in the summer. Keep in touch, Harry."**

"I think it would be better if it was earlier in the summer," Harry mumbled to himself.

"'**Bye, Harry!" said Hermione, and she did something she had never done before, and kissed him on the cheek.**

Ron grimaced, _why did she kiss Harry … did she kiss me too? _

"**Harry – thanks," George muttered, while Fred nodded fervently at his side.**

"**You two are really acting differently in the book than you are now?" Harry said. **

"Well we only just learned that we lost our money and now we're accept a handout …" George said.

"In the book we had months worrying about how we were going to get the capital to start our joke shop," Fred said.

"Then don't think about it as a handout," Harry said. "You're only alone to use that Galleon for a specific reason."

"Yeah we know," the twins said together.

**Harry winked at them, turned to Uncle Vernon, and followed him silently from the station. There was no point worrying yet, he told himself, as he got into the back of the Dursleys' car.**

**As Hagrid had said, what would come, would come … and he would have to meet it when it did.**

"That's the end of the book," Remus said, putting it down. It was amazing how much was going to happen in the year that was coming up. There were still three more books they had to read, and something told Remus that they would be just as eventful.

"There are a few things that …" Percy started but Molly interrupted him.

"Do you realize how late it is? It's nearly two in the morning!"

No one had realized it was that late, as they were all so interested in what was happening in the book. There had been no why that they were going to stop reading once they had gotten to the end. Now it seemed like their tiredness was starting to catch up with them. Though clearly several people had things they wanted to discuss now didn't seem the right time.

**A/N: Unfortunately it seems like it's going to take me two weeks to write a chapter from now on. I'm working more and have a lot less time to write.  
**


	40. Next Book

First of all I want to thank everyone that reviewed this story, I really appreciate it. Second, I was planning on having a discussion to end this book, but I forget all the points I wanted to make when I first thought of that chapter. So I'm just going to start the next story, A Different Path: Reading the Order of the Phoenix is now up.


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